The Fairy Changeling and Other Poems Part 5

WHAT WILL YOU GIVE?

What will you give me, if I will wed?

"A golden gown To come sweetly down, And deck you from foot to head."

How will you keep me, if I am cold?

"By a heart so warm, The bravest storm Dare not force through my strong hands' hold."

How will you please me, if I should thirst?

"Why by the rape Of the purple grape, Which the summer and sun have nursed."

If I should hunger what may I eat?

"For you the skies The falcon flies, And the hounds on the stag are fleet."

How can you comfort when fair youth dies, When the spirit's fain For a purer gain, Than the satisfied flesh supplies?

"But this I promise, when starved and cold A lonely soul Finds for its goal A six-foot bed and churchyard mould."

A MEADOW TRAGEDY

Here's a meadow full of sunshine Ripe gra.s.ses lush and high; There's a reaper on the roadway, And a lark hangs in the sky.

There's a nest of love enclosing Three little beaks that cry; The reapers in the meadow And a lark hangs in the sky.

Here's a mead all full of summer, And tragedy goes by With a knife amongst the gra.s.ses, And a song up in the sky.

AN ECLIPSE

Let there be an end And all be done; Pa.s.s over, fair eclipse, That hides the sun.

Dear face that shades the light And shadows me, Begone, and give me peace, And set me free.

THE SCALLOP Sh.e.l.l

A scallop sh.e.l.l, loosed by the lifting tide, Had left a friendly sh.o.r.e, the seas to brave; Its lips of pink and snowy hollow shone Pure in the sun, a pearl upon the wave.

It gleamed and pa.s.sed-you burdened it with love, With sweet long futures, new and dreamy days: And named for me-because I held your hopes.

I bid you hush-not meriting your praise.

I pointed, where your vessel came to sh.o.r.e, Wrecked where the tiny breakers rose and fell; And bid your voyagers not put to sea So fail a craft as this poor scallop sh.e.l.l.

WITH A ROSE

In the heart of a rose Lies the heart of a maid; If you be not afraid You will wear it. Who knows?

In the pink of its bloom, Lay your lips to her cheek; Since a rose cannot speak, And you gain the perfume.

If the dews on the leaf Are the tears from her eyes; If she withers and dies, Why, you have the belief,

That a rose cannot speak, Though the heart of a maid In its bosom must fade, And with fading must break.

FOR EVER

He heard it first upon the lips of love, And loved it for love's sake; A faithful word, that knows nor time nor change, Nor lone heart-break.

It sung across his heart-strings like a breath Of Heaven's faithfulness, that whispered "Never To part, to lose, to linger from your gaze."

She said, "I love for ever."

He heard it then upon the lips of death, Of things that fade and die; A word of sorrow never to be stilled, An ever echoing sigh.

And loneliness within his soul did dwell, And struck upon his heart-strings, crying "Never To meet, to have, to hold, to see again."

She said, "Good-bye for ever."

THE BLOW RETURNED

I struck you once, I do remember well.

Hard on the track of pa.s.sion sorrow sped, And swift repentance, weeping for the blow; I struck you once-and now you're lying dead!

Now you are gone the blow no longer sleeps In your forgiveness hushed through all the years; But like a phantom haunts me through the dark, To cry "You gave your own beloved tears."

Stript now of all excuses, stern and stark, With all your small transgressings dimmed or fled, The ghost returns the blow upon my heart I struck you once-and now you're lying dead.