I climb a barren hill and ponder
over my folk at home, thinking
of my father
how he will be wondering about me
saying to everyone he meets,
" My boy is away at the war
with little rest by day or night I hope
he takes care of himself, and
is back soon. Can't get him
out of my mind; "
then of my mother and of what
she will be saying —
" My child is a soldier now — no sleep
day or night; oh, that he
would take care and come
home, not leaving his body
in such far places; "

then I climb further

O bare your throat, Lynnette, — said he —
O bare your bosom so soft, and white,
That my lips are longing to close on tight:
O bare them full for my eyes to see,
For there's never a sight
So fair elsewhere to ravish me!

Great God, thou madest her fair to desire,
As fair as a dream in the fairest sleep
That ever arose, and awoke to weep
The man that it tortured with flakes of fire
Of desire to steep
His soul for a whole hour there and — expire.

And you're here, Lynnette, and I hold you, dear!

Friends, take heed before your deeper feelings avowing;
Once committed, you'll have every one on to your back.

How long (vaine Hope!) dost thou my joyes suspend?
Say! must my Expectation know no end?
Thou wast more kind unto the wandring Greek,
Who did ten Yeeres his Wife and Country seek.
Ten lazy Winters in my glasse are run,
Yet my Thoughts travaile seemes but new begun.

Smooth Quicksand, which the easy World beguiles!
Thou shalt not Bury mee in thy false smiles.
They that in hunting Shadowes pleasure take,
May benefitt of thy illusion make.
Since thou hast banish't mee from my content
I here pronounce thy finall Banishment.

What good gift can I bring thee, O thou dearest!
All joys to thee belong;
Thy praise from loving lips all day thou hearest,
Sweeter than any song.
For thee the sun shines and the earth rejoices
In fragrance, music, light;
The spring-time woos thee with a thousand voices,
For thee her flowers are bright;
Youth crowns thee, and love waits upon thy splendor,
Trembling beneath thine eyes;
The morning sky is yet serene and tender,
Thy life before thee lies.
What shall I bring thee, O thou dearest, fairest!
Thou holdest in thy hand

With the Century comes a great and critical epoch;
But that epoch finds no generation of worth.

How does Nature proceed the high and lowly to mingle
Here upon earth? She lets vanity balance between.

At the great gate to the East
Mid crowds
be girls like clouds
who cloud not my thought in the least.
Gray scarf and a plain silk gown
I take delight in one alone.

Under the towers toward the East
be fair girls like flowers to test,
Red bonnet and plain silk gown
I take delight with one alone.

Blue, blue collar, my heart's delight,
I can't come out,
Why shouldn't you write?

Blue, blue sash, heart's misery
I cannot come out, but you might come to me.

You swish about
between gates of the towered wall,
So far, no wrong
One day without you
is three months long.

" As on the Last Day of the Moon "
Cold wind, and the rain,
cock crow, he is come again,
my ease

Shrill wind and the rain
and the cock crows and crows,
I have seen him, shall it suffice
as the wind blows?

Wind, rain and the dark
as it were the dark of the moon,
What of the wind, and the cock's never-ending cry;
Together
again