Eyes of Youth | Page 9

me in the night,
The golden

moon aglow in your hair, and the spear-driven light Of an army of stars
in your eyes, weary with truant sleep.
O little skilled in self, who
thought you came to weep!
Out of the darkness, light; flame in the virgin dew!
Love came unto
her own, and knew him not, who knew.
O understood! O known! O
apprehended bliss!
O self unskilled in self! O taught of my one kiss!
MATER INVIOLATA
A maiden's love most nuptial is,
Innocent of his nuptial kiss;
And
only after marriage call
Her lips, her passion, virginal!
For when she dreams, who is beloved,
The ancient miracle stands
proved--
Virginity's much Motherhood!
For O, the unborn babes
she keeps,
The unthought glory, lips unwooed!--
And O, the
quickening of her sleeps
Whose dreams, dreamed over, do repeat

The echoes of Love's falling feet!
For his, her young inviolate mouth

Longs with the longing of long drouth:
And, lacking substance for
such feast,
She clasps a dream-baby to breast,
And kisses, where
her head has place,
The dream-lips of her love's dream-face!
On the decked bridal bed of Night
She knows the Moon shows
maiden light--
The Sun's kiss urged in marriage-rite!
So, when her
very night shall come,
Virginal, in her virgin home
When stars
show unfamiliar faces,
Laughing for love in their high places--

When her essential lips are dumb
In a thronged panic of embraces--

Her maiden heart, her spousal breast,
Shall throb, surrendered and
possessed,
Throb, passion-sweet and ungainsaid--
"Now at the last
am I a Maid!"
SONG-BURDEN
I do confess I have no art
To tell the tale of my own heart.

Of lips and tears, of hearts and eyes,
I rhyme my rhymes and fear my
fears;
And if of these I make you wise,
These pictured hearts, these
lips, these tears,
There is nought to do; I have played my part.
And I, a captain of much guile,
Within your ranks dissensions preach

Till all are jealous, each of each--
Your eyes, lips, heart, a tear, a
smile!
So, when you turn your eyes away
From mirrored eyes, and when
you stay
Love-hearing with reluctant hand,
Straight then your
heart-throbs will betray
That you have read, and understand!
And should your maiden heart uprise
Against fain ears and full-fain
eyes,
Upon your lips, that cannot err,
I set my kiss-interpreter!
Or hold you steadfast as allies
Your heart, hand, lips, your smiles,
your all,
Your faithful eyes are traitrous eyes--
Out-steals a tear to
your downfall!
Your heart, your eyes, the lips of you
--Hesitant and full-fain your
eyes!--
Make all my song; have I sung true?
Make all my song; are
you song-wise?
GIFTS
My given gifts have been, ah me!
Sorrow, and superfluity.
You needed primal force, and this
Was all my giving--emphasis.
For your mute voice more mute I made,
And at your singing
proffered song;
You trembled, and I was afraid--
Were pierced, I
fell on the same blade--
Triumphed, and then my arm was strong.

For peace I builded on your peace,
And on your weakness mine
up-piled;
Of too fond hope I made increase,
And at your smilings,
as a child,
Ignorant of their cost, I smiled.

Always I fear at sight of fears,
And always weep at weeping eyes;

O my Belovéd, take my tears,
Take my sighs!
And these, and these, alas! shall be
Sorrow, and superfluity.
WRAITH
Mine was not equal of her trust--
As whose, my friend, as whose
should be?-And
now, a panic dream of dust,
She comes to haunt the
heart of me;
She comes to haunt my heart for this,
And lo, a glory of my sighs!

For still her phantom lips I kiss,
Who cannot meet her phantom eyes.
A DEDICATION
I took the universe for theme,
And all young eyes, and all old stars;

A thousand angels of my dream
I sang, and a thousand of love's wars.
Blind then my eyes, that now can see
The narrowness of infinity!
For these my songs sing but her eyes,
And all my song one star apart,

One angel's dream-soliloquies,
One conquered, one triumphant,
heart.
Yea, one is all, and all is one;
My songs, O love, are sung, and I have
done.

By The Hon. Mrs. Lindsay
THE HERMIT OF DREAMS.
3s. 6d. net.
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MARTHA VINE: A Love Story of
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