love poem

I

From his far isle the gentle stranger came
Who taught our lips to love his liquid name,
Found a new home beneath our western sky
Won all our hearts and left us but to die.

Not to the sober and staid,
Leading a quiet life,
But to men whose paths are laid
Ever through storm and strife —
Here is a song from me,
Sent to the tragic West,
Message of sympathy
To the hearts that can never rest.
This is the song I send
Out to the Western land —
Sinner, and martyr, and friend,
Brother! you'll take my hand.

To you who have loved and lost;

WHITE DAISY .

" I dare not yet your prayers requite! "
Exclaimed a fearful beauty;
" In Reason's golden scales, sir knight,
I 'll weigh my love and duty. "

Love drooped his wings in grief and shame: —
The scales began to waver; —
But then — a sigh, so heavy , came —
It turned them in his favour.

COLUMBINE .

Folly of old, with gay deceit,
When Love was seeking Virtue's bower,
Led the bright boy to Beauty's feet;
And she, in that one fatal hour,
Enwove a chain so strong, so fair,
It bound them both for ever there!

BLUE-BOTTLE CENTAURY

Her love is pure and glad and true,
As yonder heaven of stainless blue.

NETTLE .

More cruel far than murder's self is he,
Who, having kindled once love's Eden-bloom,
With warm Persuasion's spell, in some young heart,
E'er lets Indifference blight it or Neglect; —
For Love — true Love can flower but once in life,
In woman's life — the Aloe of her heart!

Her eyes are fixed on the village street,
And his on the sky-girt sea —
But oh, her heart leaps after his ship
And his at home would be!

But he must fight with the strangling gale
Or run with the singing breeze,
While she sits, hiding a hungered love
And dreading the empty seas.

As Cupid , from his Cruel Sport,
Return'd, to Grace his Mother's Court,
In Triumph leading Bleeding Hearts,
Throbbing with Love, transfix'd with Darts;
Himself untouch'd! the Hunter stray'd
Into a Cooling, Myrtle Shade,
And saw a Lonely, Lovely Maid.

No sooner did young Master spy
The Virgin's soft, refulgent Eye,
Than did his Opening Breast receive
A Wound, like Those, He, often, gave;
And, down his Arms and Hearts He threw,
And languishing, full, in her View,

I saw, I saw the lovely child,
I watched her by the way,
I learnt her gestures sweet and wild,
Her loving eyes and gay.

Her name? — I heard not, nay, nor care, —
Enough it was for me
To find her innocently fair
And delicately free.

Oh cease and go ere dreams be done,
Nor trace the angel's birth,
Nor find the Paradisal one
A blossom of the earth!

Thus is it with our subtlest joys, —
How quick the soul's alarm!
How lightly deed or word destroys
That evanescent charm!

My sweet girl is lying still
In her lovely atmosphere,
The gentle hopes her blue veins fill
With pure silver, warm and clear.

O, see her hair, O, mark her breast,
Would it not, O! comfort thee,
If thou could'st nightly go to rest
By that virgin chastity.