Legends and Lyrics Volume Ii Part 19

It lies in the cold blue waters, Fathoms and fathoms deep, The golden heart which I promised, Promised to prize and keep.

Gazing at Life's bright visions, So false, and fair, and new, I forgot the other heart, dear, Forgot it and lost it too!

I might seek that heart for ever, I might seek and seek in vain;-- And for one short, careless hour, I pay with a life of pain.

II.

The Heart?--Yes I wore it As sign and as token Of a love that once gave it, A vow that was spoken; But a love, and a vow, and a heart Can be broken.

The Love?--Life and Death Are crushed into a day, So what wonder that Love Should as soon pa.s.s away-- What wonder I saw it Fade, fail, and decay.

The Vow?--why what was it, It snapped like a thread: Who cares for the corpse When the spirit is fled?

Then I said, "Let the Dead rise And bury its dead,

"While the true, living future Grows pure, wise, and strong"

So I cast the gold heart, I had worn for so long, In the Lake, and bound on it A Stone--and a Wrong!

III.

Look, this little golden Heart Was a true-love shrine For a tress of hair; I held them, Heart and tress, as mine, Like the Love which gave the token See to-day the Heart is broken!

Broken is the golden heart, Lost the tress of hair; Ah, the shrine is empty, vacant, Desolate, and bare!

So the token should depart, When Love dies within the heart.

Fast and deep the river floweth, Floweth to the west; I will cast the golden trinket In its cold dark breast,-- Flow, oh river, deep and fast, Over all the buried past!

VERSE: TWO LOVES

Deep within my heart of hearts, dear, Bound with all its strings, Two Loves are together reigning Both are crowned like Kings; While my life, still uncomplaining, Rests beneath their wings.

So they both will rule my heart, dear, Till it cease to beat; No sway can be deeper, stronger, Truer, more complete; Growing, as it lasts the longer, Sweeter, and more sweet.

One all life and time transfigures, Piercing through and through Meaner things with magic splendour, Old, yet ever new: This,--so strong and yet so tender,-- Is . . . my Love for you.

Should it fail,--forgive my doubting In this world of pain,-- Yet my other Love would ever Steadfastly remain; And I know that I could never Turn to that in vain.

Though its radiance may be fainter, Yet its task is wide; For it lives to comfort sorrows, Strengthen, calm, and guide, And from Trust and Honour borrows All its peace and pride.

Will you blame my dreaming even If the first were flown?

Ah, I would not live without it, It is all your own: And the other--can you doubt it?-- Yours, and yours alone.

VERSE: A WOMAN'S LAST WORD

Well--the links are broken, All is past; This farewell, when spoken, Is the last.

I have tried and striven All in vain; Such bonds must be riven, Spite of pain, And never, never, never Knit again.

So I tell you plainly, It must be: I shall try, not vainly, To be free; Truer, happier chances Wait me yet, While you, through fresh fancies, Can forget;-- And life has n.o.bler uses Than Regret.

All past words retracing, One by one, Does not help effacing What is done.

Let it be. Oh, stronger Links can break!

Had we dreamed still longer We could wake,-- Yet let us part in kindness For Love's sake.

Bitterness and sorrow Will at last, In some bright to-morrow, Heal their past; But future hearts will never Be as true As mine was--is ever, Dear, for you . . .

. . . Then must we part, when loving As we do?

VERSE: PAST AND PRESENT

"Linger," I cried, "oh radiant Time! thy power Has nothing more to give; life is complete: Let but the perfect Present, hour by hour, Itself remember and itself repeat.

"And Love,--the future can but mar its splendour, Change can but dim the glory of its youth; Time has no star more faithful or more tender, To crown its constancy or light its truth."

But Time pa.s.sed on in spite of prayer or pleading, Through storm and peril; but that life might gain A Peace through strife all other peace exceeding, Fresh joy from sorrow, and new hope from pain.

And since Love lived when all save Love was dying, And, pa.s.sed through fire, grew stronger than before:- Dear, you know why, in double faith relying, I prize the Past much, but the Present more.

VERSE: FOR THE FUTURE

I wonder did you ever count The value of one human fate; Or sum the infinite amount Of one heart's treasures, and the weight Of Life's one venture, and the whole concentrate purpose of a soul.

And if you ever paused to think That all this in your hands I laid Without a fear:- did you not shrink From such a burthen? half afraid, Half wishing that you could divide the risk, or cast it all aside.

While Love has daily perils, such As none foresee and none control; And hearts are strung so that one touch, Careless or rough, may jar the whole, You well might feel afraid to reign with absolute power of joy and pain.

You well might fear--if Love's sole claim Were to be happy: but true Love Takes joy as solace, not as aim, And looks beyond, and looks above; And sometimes through the bitterest strife first learns to live her highest life.

Earth forges joy into a chain Till fettered Love forgets its strength, Its purpose, and its end;--but Pain Restores its heritage at length, And bids Love rise again and be eternal, mighty, pure, and free.

If then your future life should need A strength my Love can only gain Through suffering, or my heart be freed Only by sorrow, from some stain-- Then you shall give, and I will take, this Crown of fire for Love's dear sake.

Sept. 8th, 1860.