The House of Life | Page 5

now, and all-anhungered of?Thine eyes grey-lit in shadowing hair above, Seals with thy mouth his immortality.

PASSION AND WORSHIP
One flame-winged brought a white-winged harp-player?Even where my lady and I lay all alone;?Saying: 'Behold, this minstrel is unknown;?Bid him depart, for I am minstrel here:?Only my strains are to Love's dear ones, dear.'?Then said I: 'Through thine hautboy;s rapturous tone?Unto my lady still this harp makes moan,?And still she deems the cadence deep and clear.'
Then said my,lady: 'Thou art Passion of Love,?And this Love s Worship: both he plights to me.?Thy mastering music walks the sunlit sea:?But where wan water trembles in the grove?And the wan moon is all the light thereof, This harp still makes my name its voluntary.'

THE PORTRAIT
O Lord of all compassionate control,?0 Love! let this my lady's picture glow?Under my hand to praise her name, and show?Even of her inner self the perfect whole:?That he who seeks her beauty's furthest goal,?Beyond the light that the sweet glances throw?And refluent wave of the sweet smile, may know?The very sky and sea-line of her soul.
Lo! it is done. Above the long lithe throat?The mouth's mould testifies of voice and kiss,?The shadowed eyes remember and foresee.?Her face is made her shrine. Let all men note?That in all years (0 Love, thy gift is this!) They that would look on her must come to me.

THE LOVE-LETTER
Warmed by her hand and shadowed by her hair?As close she leaned and poured her heart through thee,?Whereof the articulate throbs accompany?The smooth black stream that makes thy whiteness fair,--?Sweet fluttering sheet, even of her breath aware,--?Oh let thy silent song disclose to me?That soul wherewith her lips and eyes agree?Like married music in Love's answering air.
Fain had I watched her when, at some fond thought,?Her bosom to the writing closelier press'd,?And her breast's secrets peered into her breast;?When, through eyes raised an instant, her soul sought?My soul, and from the sudden confluence caught The words that made her love the loveliest.

THE LOVERS' WALK
Sweet twining hedgeflowers wind-stirred in no wise?On this June day; and hand that clings in hand:--?Still glades; and meeting faces scarcely fann'd:--?An osier-odoured stream that draws the skies?Deep to its heart; and mirrored eyes in eyes:--?Fresh hourly wonder o'er the Summer land?Of light and cloud; and two souls softly spann'd?With one o'erarching heaven of smiles and sighs:--
Even such their path, whose bodies lean unto?Each other's visible sweetness amorously,--?Whose passionate hearts lean by Love's high decree?Together on his heart for ever true,?As the cloud-foaming firmamental blue Rests on the blue line of a foamless sea.

ANTIPHONY
'I love you, sweet: how can you ever learn?How much I love you?' 'You I love even so,?And so I learn it.' 'Sweet, you cannot know?How fair you are.' 'If fair enough to earn?Your love, so much is all my love's concern.'?'My love grows hourly, sweet.' ' Mine too doth grow,?Yet love seemed full so many hours ago!'?Thus lovers speak, till kisses claim their turn.
Ah! happy they to whom such words as these?In youth have served for speech the whole day long,?Hour after hour, remote from the world's throng,?Work, contest, fame, all life's confederate pleas,--?What while Love breathed in sighs and silences Through two blent souls one rapturous undersong.

YOUTH'S SPRING-TRIBUTE
On this sweet bank your head thrice sweet and dear?I lay, and spread your hair on either side,?And see the newborn wood flowers bashful-eyed?Look through the golden tresses here and there.?On these debateable* borders of the year?Spring's foot half falters; scarce she yet may know?The leafless blackthorn-blossom from the snow;?And through her bowers the wind's way still is clear.
But April's sun strikes down the glades to-day;?So shut your eyes upturned, and feel my kiss?Creep, as the Spring now thrills through every spray,?Up your warm throat to your warm lips: for this?Is even the hour of Love's sworn suitservice,?With whom cold hearts are counted castaway. *[sic]

THE BIRTH-BOND
Havw you not noted, in some family?Where two were born of a first marriage-bed,?How still they own their gracious bond, though fed?And nursed on the forgotten breast and knee?--?How to their father's children they shall be?In act and thought of one goodwill; but each?Shall for the other have, in silence speech,?And in a word complete community?
Even so, when first I saw you, seemed it, love,?That among souls allied to mine was yet?One nearer kindred than life hinted of.?0 born with me somewhere that men forget,?And though in years of sight and sound unmet, Known for my soul's birth-partner well enough!

A DAY OF LOVE
Those envied places which do know her well,?And are so scornful of this lonely place,?Even now for once are emptied of her grace:?Nowhere but here she is: and while Love's spell?From his predominant presence doth compel?All alien hours, an outworn populace,?The hours of Love fill full the echoing space?With sweet confederate music favourable.
Now many memories make solicitous?The delicate love-lines of her mouth, till, lit?With quivering