1247 Love poems

“O Love, thou art winged and swift, Yet stay with me evermore!” And I guarded my house with bolt and bar Lest Love fly forth at the door. Without, in the world, ’t was cold, While Love and I together Laughed and sang by my red hearth-fire, Nor knew it was winter weather. Sweet Love would lull me to sleep, In his tireless arm caressed; His shadowing wings and burning eyes Like night and stars wrought rest. And ever the beat of Love’s heart As a chime rang at my ear; And ever Love’s bending, beautiful face Covered me close from fear. Was it long ere I waked alone? A snow-drift whitened the floor; I saw spent ashes upon my hearth And Death in my open door.

You shout my name from beyond my dreams, beyond the picture window of this Rosarito beach house. Rushing from bed to shore I glimpse their backs— volcanoes rising out of the sea. Your back, a blue-black silhouette, feet wet with the wash of morning waves. Fountains spring from mammal minds, my hands lifting a splash of sand. I'm on my knees, toes finding a cool prayer beneath them, fingers pressing sea foam to my temples, while you open arms wide as a generation, raise them to a compass point, dive. If you could reach them, you would ride their fins under the horizon, then surf the crash of waves left in their wake. And if I could grasp my own fear, I'd drown it, leave it breathless and blue as this ocean, as the brilliant backs of whales surfacing for air.

My love is in a light attire Among the apple trees, Where the gay winds do most desire To run in companies. There, where the gay winds stay to woo The young leaves as they pass, My love goes slowly, bending to Her shadow on the grass. And where the sky’s a pale blue cup Over the laughing land, My love goes lightly, holding up Her dress with dainty hand.

Nay but you, who do not love her, Is she not pure gold, my mistress? Holds earth aught—speak truth—above her? Aught like this tress, see, and this tress, And this last fairest tress of all, So fair, see, ere I let it fall? Because, you spend your lives in praising; To praise, you search the wide world over: Then why not witness, calmly gazing, If earth holds aught—speak truth—above her? Above this tress, and this, I touch But cannot praise, I love so much!

Love, thou art best of Human Joys, Our chiefest Happiness below; All other Pleasures are but Toys, Musick without Thee is but Noise, And Beauty but an empty show. Heav’n , who knew best what Man wou’d move, And raise his Thoughts above the Brute; Said, Let him Be, and Let him Love; That must alone his Soul improve, Howe’er Philosophers dispute.

I No riches from his scanty store My lover could impart; He gave a boon I valued more — He gave me all his heart! II His soul sincere, his generous worth, Might well this bosom move; And when I asked for bliss on earth, I only meant his love. III But now for me, in search of gain From shore to shore he flies; Why wander riches to obtain, When love is all I prize? IV The frugal meal, the lowly cot If blest my love with thee! That simple fare, that humble lot, Were more than wealth to me. V While he the dangerous ocean braves, My tears but vainly flow: Is pity in the faithless waves To which I pour my woe? VI The night is dark, the waters deep, Yet soft the billows roll; Alas! at every breeze I weep — The storm is in my soul.

Ask me no more where Jove bestows, When June is past, the fading rose; For in your beauty’s orient deep These flowers, as in their causes, sleep. Ask me no more whither do stray The golden atoms of the day; For in pure love heaven did prepare Those powders to enrich your hair. Ask me no more whither doth haste The nightingale, when May is past; For in your sweet dividing throat She winters, and keeps warm her note. Ask me no more where those stars ’light, That downwards fall in dead of night; For in your eyes they sit, and there Fixed become, as in their sphere. Ask me no more if east or west The phoenix builds her spicy nest; For unto you at last she flies, And in your fragrant bosom dies.

from An Evening's Love Calm was the even, and clear was the sky, And the new budding flowers did spring, When all alone went Amyntas and I To hear the sweet nightingale sing; I sate, and he laid him down by me; But scarcely his breath he could draw; For when with a fear, he began to draw near, He was dash'd with A ha ha ha ha! He blush'd to himself, and lay still for a while, And his modesty curb'd his desire; But straight I convinc'd all his fear with a smile, Which added new flames to his fire. O Silvia, said he, you are cruel, To keep your poor lover in awe; Then once more he press'd with his hand to my breast, But was dash'd with A ha ha ha ha! I knew 'twas his passion that caus'd all his fear; And therefore I pitied his case: I whisper'd him softly, there's nobody near, And laid my cheek close to his face: But as he grew bolder and bolder, A shepherd came by us and saw; And just as our bliss we began with a kiss, He laugh'd out with A ha ha ha ha!

from Amphitryon Fair Iris I love and hourly I die, But not for a lip nor a languishing eye: She's fickle and false, and there I agree; For I am as false and as fickle as she: We neither believe what either can say; And, neither believing, we neither betray. 'Tis civil to swear and say things, of course; We mean not the taking for better or worse. When present we love, when absent agree; I think not of Iris, nor Iris of me: The legend of love no couple can find So easy to part, or so equally join'd.

The sun met the moon at the corner noon in thin air Commotion you later choose to notice Love shapes the heart that once was pieces You take in hand the heart in mind Your fate’s consistent alongside mine Unless a mess your best guess That is right, thanks, the intimate fact that you elect it At corners, dressed or naked, with lips taste full body, time thick or thin, fixated Love, take heart as heart takes shape And recognition ceases to be obscure One line down the center another flying outward enters