You call it Sundew: how it grows, If with its colour it have breath, If life taste sweet to it, if death Pain its soft petal, no man knows : Man has no sight nor sense that saith.
My Sundew! grown of gentle days, In these green miles the Spring begun Thy growth ere April had half done With the soft secret of her ways, Or June made ready for the Sun.
O red-lipp'd mouth of marsh-flower! I have a secret halved with thee: The name that is love's name to me Thou knowest, and the face of Her Who is my festival to see.
The hard sun, as thy petals knew, Colour'd the heavy moss-water :- Thou wert not worth green midsummer Nor fit to live to August blue,
O Sundew! not remembering Her.
These many years, since we began to be,
What have the Gods done with us? what with me,
What with my love? They have shown me fates and fears, Harsh springs, and fountains bitterer than the sea,
Grief a fix'd star, and joy a vane that veers,
With her, my Love,—with her have they done well? But who shall answer for her? who shall tell Sweet things or sad, such things as no man hears ? May no tears fall, if no tears ever fell,
From eyes more dear to me than starriest spheres, These many years!
But if tears ever touch'd, for any grief, Those eyelids folded like a white-rose leaf,
Deep double shells where through the eye-flower peers, Let them weep once more only, sweet and brief, Brief tears and bright, for One who gave her tears These many years!
JAMES THOMSON. 1834-1882.
THE THREE THAT SHALL Be one.
Love, on the earth alit
(Come to be Lord of it),
Look'd round and laugh'd with glee :
Noble my empery!
Straight ere that laugh was done
Sprang forth the royal sun,
Pouring out golden shine
Over the realm divine.
Came then a lovely May, Dazzling the new-born day, Wreathing her golden hair With the red roses there, Laughing with sunny eyes Up to the sunny skies, Moving so light and free To her own minstrelsy.
Love with swift rapture cried- Dear Life! thou art my bride : Whereto with fearless pride- Dear Love! indeed thy bride : All the earth's fruit and flowers, All the world's wealth, are ours;
Sun, moon, and stars, gem Our marriage diadem.
So they together fare, Lovely and joyous pair! So hand in hand they roam All through their Eden home, Each to the other's sight An ever-new delight:
Blue heaven and blooming earth Joy in their darlings' mirth.
Who comes to meet them now? She with the pallid brow, Wreathing her night-dark hair With the red poppies there, Pouring from solemn eyes Gloom through the sunny skies, Moving so silently
In her deep reverie.
Life paled as she drew near,
Love shook with doubt and fear.
Ah, then (she said) in truth
(Eyes full of yearning ruth)
Love! thou wouldst have this Life,
Fair May, to be thy wife?
Yet at an awful shrine
Wert thou not plighted mine?
Pale, paler poor Life grew; Love murmur'd-It is true! How could I thee forsake? From the brief dream I wake.
Yet, O beloved Death!
See how She suffereth:
Ere we from earth depart,
Soothe her, thou Tender-Heart!
Faint on the ground she lay : Love kiss'd her swoon away; Death then bent over her, Death the sweet comforter! Whisper'd with tearful smile— Wait but a little while!
Then I will come for thee: We are one family.
O, what are you waiting for here? young man ! What are you looking for over the bridge?— "A little straw hat with the streaming blue ribbons Is soon to come dancing over the bridge.
"Her heart beats the measure that keeps her feet dancing, Dancing along like a wave o' the sea;
Her heart pours the sunshine with which her eyes glancing Light up strange faces, in looking for me.
"The strange faces brighten in meeting her glances; The strangers all bless her, pure, lovely, and free; She fancies she walks, but her walk skips and dances, Her heart makes such music in coming to me.
"O, thousands and thousands of happy young maidens Are tripping this morning their sweethearts to see: But none whose heart beats to a sweeter love-cadence Than hers who will brighten the sunshine for me."
O what are you waiting for here? young man ! What are you looking for over the bridge ?- "A little straw hat with the streaming blue ribbons.” -And here it comes dancing over the bridge.
A WOMAN'S LOVE.
A sentinel angel sitting high in glory
Heard this shrill wail ring out from Purgatory :“Have mercy, mighty angel! hear my story.
“I loved,—and, blind with passionate love, I fell. Love brought me down to death, and death to Hell: For God is just, and death for sin is well.
"I do not rage against His high decree, Nor for myself do ask that grace shall be ; But for my Love on earth, who mourns for me.
"Great Spirit! let me see my Love again, And comfort him one hour, and I were fain To pay a thousand years of fire and pain!"
Then said the pitying angel-" Nay! repent That wild vow: look! the dial-finger's bent Down to the last hour of thy punishment."
But still she wail'd-" I pray thee let me go! I can not rise to peace and leave him so : O, let me soothe him in his bitter woe!"
The brazen gates ground sullenly ajar, And upward, joyous, like a rising star, She rose and vanish'd in the ether far.
But soon adown the dying sunset sailing, And like a wounded bird her pinions trailing, She flutter'd back, with broken-hearted wailing.
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