Our land-wind is the breath And joys that were; Our ballast is a rose; Our way lies where God knows We are in love's hand to-day Our seamen are fledged Loves, Our ropes are dead maids' hair, We are in love's land to-day Where shall we land you, sweet? Or where the fire-flowers blow, We are in love's hand to-day— BETWEEN the sunset and the sea My love laid hands and lips on me; Plighted Between the sea-mark and the sea Joy grew to grief, grief grew to me; Love's talk, love's touch there seemed to be Between the sea-sand and the sea. Between the sundown and the sea Love watched one hour of love with me; I saw them come and saw them flee Between the sea-strand and the sea 1127 Algernon Charles Swinburne [1837-1909] PLIGHTED MINE to the core of the heart, my beauty! Mine, from the dear head's crown, brown-golden, Give to a few friends hand or smile, Like a generous lady, now and awhile, But the sanctuary heart, that none dare win, Keep holiest of holiest evermore; The crowd in the aisles may watch the door, Mine, my own, without doubts or terrors, "A spring shut up, a fountain sealed." Many may praise thee,-praise mine as thine, Mine! God, I thank Thee that Thou hast given As this my soul which I lift to Thee: Flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone, Life of my life, whom Thou dost make Two to the world for the world's work's sake,- Dinah Maria Mulock Craik [1826-1887] A WOMAN'S QUESTION BEFORE I trust my fate to thee, Color and form to mine, Before I peril all for thee, question thy soul to-night for me. I break all slighter bonds, nor feel A shadow of regret: Is there one link within the past That holds thy spirit yet? Or is thy faith as clear and free as that which I can pledge to thee? Does there within thy dimmest dreams A possible future shine, Wherein thy life could henceforth breathe, Untouched, unshared by mine? If so, at any pain or cost, O, tell me before all is lost. "Dinna Ask Me" Look deeper still. If thou canst feel, That thou hast kept a portion back, While I have staked the whole, 1129 Let no false pity spare the blow, but in true mercy tell me so. Is there within thy heart a need That mine cannot fulfil? One chord that any other hand Could better wake or still? Speak now-lest at some future day my whole life wither and decay. Lives there within thy nature hid The demon-spirit change, Shedding a passing glory still On all things new and strange? It may not be thy fault alone, but shield my heart against thy own. Couldst thou withdraw thy hand one day And answer to my claim, That Fate, and that to-day's mistake Not thou-had been to blame? Some soothe their conscience thus; but thou wilt surely warn and save me now. Nay, answer not, I dare not hear, The words would come too late; So, comfort thee, my Fate, Whatever on my heart may fall-remember, I would risk it O, dinna look sae sair at me, For weel ye ken me true; When ye gang to yon braw, braw town, For I could never bide the lass A SONG John Dunlop [1755-1820] SING me a sweet, low song of night Before the moon is risen, A song that tells of the stars' delight A song that croons with the cricket's voice, A song that shall bid my heart rejoice And then when the song is ended, love, The oldest of words, O heart of mine, THE REASON Oн, hark the pulses of the night, The crickets hidden in the field, That beat out music of delight Till summoned dawn stands half revealed! |