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The Stuttering Lover

I LU-LOVE you very well,
Much mu-more than I can tell,
With a lu-lu-lu-lu-love I cannot utter;
I kn-know just what to say
But my tongue gets in the way,
And af-fe-fe-fe-fe-fection 's bound to stutter!

When a wooer wu-wu-woos ,
And a cooer cu-cu-coos,
Till his face is re-re-red as a tomato,
Take his heart in bi-bi-bits,
Every portion fi-fi-fits,
Though his love song su-su-seem somewhat staccato!

A Secret Love or Two I Must Confess

A secret love or two I must confess
I kindly welcome for change in close playing,
Yet my dear husband I love ne'ertheless,
His desires, whole or half, quickly allaying,
At all times ready to offer redress:
His own he never wants but hath it duly,
Yet twits me I keep not touch with him truly.

The more a spring is drawn the more it flows,
No lamp less light retains by light'ning others:
Is he a loser his loss that ne'er knows?
Or is he wealthy that waste treasure smothers?
My churl vows no man shall scent his sweet rose:

A World Beyond

S SCIENCE long watched the realms of space,
A planet's devious path to trace:
Convinced of heaven's harmonious law,
“A world beyond” Leverrier saw.

Thus when he views earth's sins and woes,
With a like faith the Christian knows
There is a world beyond, to prove
God's perfect wisdom, power, and love.

At Set of Sun

A SCENT of guava-blossoms and the smell
Of bruisid grass beneath the tamarindtrees;
The hurried humming of belated bees
With pollen-laden thighs; far birds that tell
With faint, last notes of night's approaching spell,
While smoke of supper-fires the low sun sees
Creep through the roofs of palm, and on the breeze
Floats forth the message of the evening bell.
Our footsteps pause, we look toward the west,
And from my heart throbs out one fervent prayer:
O love! O silence! ever to be thus, —
A silence full of love and love its best,

Love-Songs, at Once Tender and Informative

I

Satyrs used to fall for nymphs,
Just the same as other symphs;
Same as many a modern goof,
Cupid kept them on the hoof.

II

A woman, like the touted Sphinx,
Sits, and God knows what she thinks;
Hard-boiled men, who never fall,
Say she doesn't think at all.

III

Breathes there a man with hide so tough
Who says two sexes aren't enough?

IV

I could not love thee, dear, so much,
Were I not born to be in Dutch.

V

Maid of Gotham, ere we part,
Have a hospitable heart —

Wolde God that hyt were so

Wolde God that hyt were so
As I cowde wysshe bytuyxt us two

The man that I loved al ther best
In al thys contre, est other west,
To me he ys a strange gest.
What wonder est thow I be wo?

When me were levest that he shold duelle
He wold noyht sey onys far welle
He wold noyht sey onys farewell
When tyme was come that he wold go.

In places ofte when I hym mete
I dar noyht speke but forth I go
With herte and eyes I hym grete
So trywe of love I know no mo

As he ys myn hert love
My dyrward dyre, iblessed he be,

For Saint John's Day

Saint John did lean on Jesus's breast,
Jesus loved John more than the rest,
Our loving Jesus St John did love,
His Gospel it doth clearly prove,
Then let St John be loved by us
Who was beloved by our Jesus.

Divine mysteries locked under seal
To St John Jesus did reveal,
His secrets did to him impart,
Made him the treasurer of his heart;
Then let St John be loved by us
Who was beloved by our Jesus.

He was Disciple, Evangelist,
Apostle, Prophet, what he list;
John his most darling friend
Jesus to his Mother did commend.

Alone in April

“ In un boschetto trovai pastorella ”—? G UERZO DI M ONTECANTI

Rustling leaves of the willow-tree
Peering downward at you and me,
And no man else in the world to see.

Only the birds, whose dusty coats
Show dark in the green—whose throbbing throats
Turn joy to music and love to notes.

Lean your body against the tree,
Lifting your red lips up to me,
Ettarre, and kiss with no man to see!

And let us laugh for a little.—Yea,
Let love and laughter herald the day
When laughter and love will be put away.

Love's Resurrection Day

Round among the quiet graves,
When the sun was low,
Love went grieving, — Love who saves:
Did the sleepers know?

At his touch the flowers awoke,
At his tender call
Birds into sweet singing broke,
And it did befall

From the blooming, bursting sod
All Love's dead arose,
And went flying up to God
By a way Love knows.