* * * * *

A WOMAN’S LAST WORD

Let’s contend no more, Love,
  Strive nor weep: 
All be as before, Love,
  —­Only sleep!

What so wild as words are? 
  I and thou
In debate, as birds are,
  Hawk on bough!

See the creature stalking
  While we speak! 10
Hush and hide the talking,
  Cheek on cheek.

What so false as truth is,
  False to thee? 
Where the serpent’s tooth is,
  Shun the tree—­

Where the apple reddens,
  Never pry—­
Lest we lose our Edens,
  Eve and I. 20

Be a god and hold me
  With a charm! 
Be a man and fold me
  With thine arm!

Teach me, only teach, Love! 
  As I ought
I will speak thy speech, Love,
  Think thy thought—­

Meet, if thou require it,
  Both demands, 30
Laying flesh and spirit
  In thy hands.

That shall be to-morrow,
  Not to-night: 
I must bury sorrow
  Out of sight: 

—­Must a little weep, Love,
  (Foolish me!)
And so fall asleep, Love,
  Loved by thee. 40

* * * * *

A PRETTY WOMAN

That fawn-skin-dappled hair of hers,
    And the blue eye
    Dear and dewy,
And that infantine fresh air of hers!

To think men cannot take you, Sweet,
    And infold you,
    Ay, and hold you,
And so keep you what they make you, Sweet!

You like us for a glance, you know—­
    For a word’s sake 10
    Or a sword’s sake: 
All’s the same, whate’er the chance, you know.

And in turn we make you ours, we say—­
    You and youth too,
    Eyes and mouth too,
All the face composed of flowers, we say.

All’s our own, to make the most of, Sweet—­
    Sing and say for,
    Watch and pray for,
Keep a secret or go boast of, Sweet! 20

But for loving, why, you would not, Sweet,
    Tho’ we prayed you,
    Paid you, brayed you
In a mortar—­for you could not, Sweet!

So, we leave the sweet face fondly there,
    Be its beauty
    Its sole duty! 
Let all hope of grace beyond, lie there!

And while the face lies quiet there,
    Who shall wonder 30
    That I ponder
A conclusion?  I will try it there.

As,—­why must one, for the love foregone
    Scout mere liking? 
    Thunder-striking
Earth,—­the heaven, we looked above for, gone!