His Lady of the Sonnets Part 8

Earth's joyous, wild, and wandering things Are hints of Thy rememberings.

From mist of stars upward to man, Lord, all Thy ways I dimly scan.

To what divine and unguessed goals, Comrade, invitest Thou all souls!

A REVERY

The green sea surges up to land; I feel its salt breath on my cheek; In deep-throated tones it seems to speak As it falls thundering, seething on the sand.

The wild gulls circling sweep and cry; A thin mist veils the crimson west; The great, red sun sinks swiftly down to rest; A dying flame crawls flickering up the sky.

Deep darkness, and the sullen boom Of sea receding into dark; I hear a faint, "Hoy, heave hoy!" I mark A vessel's lights that pierce the gloom.

Night! and remoteness of the stars; Vast, unrevealed infinitude Of ocean, and the interlude Of sobbing from the sandy bars!

GOOD-BYE

Dear, and dark, and tall Lady of my heart, Summer roses fall Now that we must part!

What has happened, dear?

All the flowers are dead!

Since you are not near, Laughter, too, is fled.

All the tender blue Turned to tearful gray, When I said to you, "Good-bye," and went away!

DAVID'S SONG TO MICHAL

From "The Witch of Endor"

O Heart, dear Heart, Heart of the wild, red rose!

Hid in the loveliest flower that grows; Hands of the seraphim scatter, let fall Myrrh from thy leaves in the garden of Saul.

O Heart, dear Heart, Heart of the wild, red rose!

Breath from the lips of the cherubim blows Soft on thy petals; they whisper and call, Laugh and are glad in the garden of Saul.

O Heart, dear Heart, Heart of the wild, red rose!

Flame from the gold of the Mercy Seat glows, s.h.i.+nes like a star on my love's festival; Michal is mine in the garden of Saul!

DAVID BEFORE SAUL

From "The Witch of Endor"

Down by the stream of the waters Came the king; and his face was sad, Sad with a grief beyond belief, For a bitter grief he had: To be a king means sorrowing-- A king may not be glad.

Down by the stream of the waters Came the king, and alone at night; His robe was torn, a crown of thorn Was on his brow so white: They placed it there, who did not care His eyes with tears were bright.

Down by the stream of the waters, Where it flows through the valley of death, He came, the king, all sorrowing; A sob was in his breath: They broke his heart, who stood apart-- The crowd that wondereth.

A VILLANELLE OF FATE

When the day of life is done, And the tools are laid aside, We shall slumber one by one.

Norns their threads of fate have spun l.u.s.t and virtue, grace and pride-- When the day of life is done.

All that we have here begun Must be scattered far and wide; We shall slumber one by one.

Gone the folly and the fun, Spilled the wine and spent the tide, When the day of life is done.

By the marge of Acheron Shall dear dreams be then denied, When we slumber one by one?

Build your tower to the sun!

Surely death may be defied.

When the day of life is done, Shall we slumber one by one?

ONE WOMAN

O light that overflows, O wind that wildly blows, O sweet and tender grace, All in One Woman's face!

O love that is like fire, O pain that is desire, O melodies that start, All in One Woman's heart!