night.

 

“I DREAM OF HER.”

I DREAM of her the whole night long, The pillows with my tears are wet. I wake, I seek amid the throng The courage to forget.

Yet still, as night comes round, I dread, With unavailing fears, The dawn that finds, beneath my head, The pillows wet with tears.

 

TEARS.

O HANDS that I have held in mine, That knew my kisses and my tears, Hands that in other years Have poured my balm, have poured my wine;

Women, once loved, and always mine, I call to you across the years, I bring a gift of tears, I bring my tears to you as wine.

 

THE LAST EXIT.

OUR love was all arrayed in pleasantness, A tender little love that sighed and smiled At little happy nothings, like a child, A dainty little love in fancy dress.

But now the love that once was half in play Has come to be this grave and piteous thing. Why did you leave me all this suffering For all your memory when you went away?

You might have played the play out, O my friend, Closing upon a kiss our comedy. Or is it, then, a fault of taste in me, Who like no tragic exit at the end?

 

AFTER LOVE.

O TO part now, and, parting now, Never to meet again; To have done for ever, I and thou, With joy, and so with pain.

It is too hard, too hard to meet As friends, and love no more; Those other meetings were too sweet That went before.

And I would have, now love is over, An end to all, an end: I cannot, having been your lover, Stoop to become your friend!

 Prev. P 17/26 next