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No Platonic Love

Tell me no more of minds embracing minds,
And hearts exchanged for hearts;
That spirits spirits meet, as winds do winds,
And mix their subtlest parts;
That two unbodied essences may kiss,
And then like angels, twist and feel one bliss.

I was that silly thing that once was wrought
To practise this thin love;
I climbed from sex to soul, from soul to thought;
But thinking there to move,
Headlong I rolled from thought to soul, and then
From soul I lighted at the sex again.

As some strict down-looked men pretend to fast,

Love Mysteries

Though I am like Laila, yet my heart loves like Majnun. I wish to keep my head towards the desert, but modesty chains my feet down.
The nightingale came to sit in the company of the flower in the garden, because she was my pupil. I am an expert in love matters: — even the moth is our pupil.

Song

Take it, love!
'Twill soon be over,
With the thickening of the clover,
With the calling of the plover,
Take it, take it, lover.

Take it, boy!
The blossom's falling,
And the farewell cuckoo's calling,
While the sun and showers are one,
Take your love out in the sun.

Take it, girl!
And fear no after,
Take your fill of all this laughter,
Laugh or not, the tears will fall,
Take the laughter first of all.

Love's Prisoner

Sweet love has twined his fingers in my hair,
And laid his hand across my wondering eyes.
— — I cannot move save in the narrow space
— — Of his strong arms' embrace,
Nor see but only in my own heart where
His image lies.
How can I tell,
— — Emprisoned so well,
If in the outer world be sunset or sunrise?
Sweet Love has laid his hand across my eyes.

Sweet Love has loosed his fingers from my hair,
His lifted hand has left my eyelids wet.
I cannot move save to pursue his fleet
— — And unreturning feet,

Erotion

Sweet for a little even to fear, and sweet
O love, to lay down fear at love's fair feet;
Shall not some fiery memory of his breath
Lie sweet on lips that touch the lips of death?
You leave me not; yet, if thou wilt, be free;
Love me no more, but love my love of thee,
Love where thou wilt, and live thy life; and I,
One thing I can, and one love cannot--die.
Pass from me; yet thine arms, thine eyes, thine hair,
Feed my desire and deaden my despair.
Yet once more ere time change us, ere my cheek
Whiten, ere hope be dumb or sorrow speak,

Strange, All-absorbing Love

Strange , all-absorbing Love, who gatherest
Unto Thy glowing all my pleasant dew,
Then delicately my garden waterest,
Drawing the old, to pour it back anew:

In the dim glitter of the dawning hours
" Not so," I said, " but still these drops of light,
" Heart-shrined among the petals of my flowers,
" Shall hold the memory of the starry night

" So fresh, no need of showers shall there be." —
Ah, senseless gardener! must it come to pass
That neath the glaring noon thou shouldest see
Thine earth become as iron, His heavens as brass?

The Stars Are with the Voyager

I.

The stars are with the voyager
Wherever he may sail;
The moon is constant to her time;
The sun will never fail;
But follow, follow round the world,
The green earth and the sea;
So love is with the lover's heart,
Wherever he may be.

II.

Wherever he may be, the stars
Must daily lose their light;
The moon will veil her in the shade;
The sun will set at night.
The sun may set, but constant love
Will shine when he's away;
So that dull night is never night,
And day is brighter day.

Song

Song is so old,
— Love is so new —
Let me be still
— And kneel to you.

Let me be still
— And breathe no word,
Save what my warm blood
— Sings unheard.

Let my warm blood
— Sing low of you —
Song is so fair,
— Love is so new!

Good Bye, My Lady Love

So you're going a-
way Because your heart has gone astray,
And you promised me That you would
always faithful be. Go
to him you love, And be as true as stars a-
bove; But your heart will yearn,
And then some day you will return.
When the dew-drops
fall, 'Tis then your heart, I know, will call.
So be ware, my dove, Don't trust your
life to some false love. But
if you must go, Remember, dear, I love you
so, Sure as stars do shine,
You'll think of when I called you mine.
Good bye, my lady love, Farewell, my turtledove, You are the