'T was a time when the heart could show All-how was earth to know, Neath the mute hand's to-and-fro? XII Dearest, three months ago, When we loved each other so, Till an evening came When a shaft from the devil's bow And the friends were friend and foe! XIII Not from the heart beneath 'T was a bubble born of breath, Nor reproach nor taunt. See a word, how it severeth! Oh, power of life and death XIV Woman, and will you cast For a word, quite off at last Me, your own, your You,— I was You all the happy past- With the memories We amassed? And the beauteous and the right,— When a mere mote threats the white ! XVI What of a hasty word? In the fleshly heart not stirred Where its roots are quick? See the eye, by a fly's foot blurredEar, when a straw is heard Scratch the brain's coat of curd ! XVII Foul be the world or fair More or less, how can I care? For my praise or blame, And endurance is easy there. Wrong in the one thing rare Oh, it is hard to bear! XVIII Here's the spring back or close, In a minor third There is none but the cuckoo knows: Heaps of the guelder-rose ! I must bear with it, I suppose. XIX Could but November come, Were the noisy birds struck dumb At the warning slash Of his driver's-lash I would laugh like the valiant Thumb And the giant's fee-faw-fum ! XX Then, were the world well-stripped Of the gear wherein equipped We can stand apart, Heart dispense with heart In the sun, with the flowers unnipped,-Oh, the world's hangings ripped, We were both in a bare-walled crypt ! XXI Each in the crypt would cry "But one freezes here! and why? "When a heart, as chill, "At my own would thrill "Back to life, and its fires out-fly? "Heart, shall we live or die? "The rest settle by-and-by!" XXII So, she 'd efface the score, I shall hear her knock In the worst of a storm's uproar : I shall pull her through the door, I shall have her for evermore ! EARTH'S IMMORTALITIES. FAME. SEE, as the prettiest graves will do in time, LOVE. So, the year 's done with! (Love me for ever !) April's endeavour; June needs must sever; THE LAST RIDE TOGETHER. I I SAID-Then, dearest, since 't is so, Since now at length my fate I know, Since nothing all my love avails, Since all, my life seemed meant for, fails, Since this was written and needs must be My whole heart rises up to bless Your name in pride and thankfulness! Take back the hope you gave,—I claim Only a memory of the same, -And this beside, if you will not blame, II My mistress bent that brow of hers; With life or death in the balance: right! Shall be together, breathe and ride, So, one day more am I deified. Who knows but the world may end to-night? III Hush! if you saw some western cloud And moon's and evening star's at once- Then we began to ride. IV My soul Smoothed itself out, a long-cramped scroll Past hopes already lay behind. What need to strive with a life awry? |