Where charmed music gathered from my tongue,
And where I chained strange archipelagoes
Of fallen stars; where fiery passion flows
A curious bitumen; where among
The glowing medley moved the tune unsung
Of perfect love: thence grew the Mystic Rose.
Its myriad petals of divided light;
Its leaves of the most radiant emerald;
Its heart of fire like rubies. At the sight
I lifted up my heart to God and called:
How shall I pluck this dream of my desire?
And lo! there shaped itself the Cross of Fire!
With secret sperm of subtle, free, creating Fire!Mould thou my very flesh as Thine, renew my birthIn childhood merry as divine, enchenated earth!Dissolve my rapture in Thine own, a sacred slaugtherWhereby to capture and atone the soul of water!Fill thou my mind with gleaming Thought intense and rareTo One refined, outflung to naught, the Word…
Proud in adamantine poiseOn the pillars of torqoise,See,beyond the starry fold,Where a darkling orb is rolled.There, beneath a grove of yew,Plays a babe. Should I despiseSuch a foam of gold, and eyesBurning beryline, so blueThat the sun seems peeping through?Did I swwop, were Heaven amazed?With my beak I strike but once;Out there leap a million…
The simple truth of me that is yours.Is not the music mingled with the formWhen all the heavens break in blind black storm?Are we not veiled as Gods, and cruel as they,Smiting our brilliance on the shuddering clay?Silence and darkness cover us, confirmOur splendour to its unappointed term:For all the men homunculi that danceAround us…
Over the untrodden road,Through the giant glades of yewWhere its ray fell light as dewLighting up the shimmering veilMaiden pure and aery frailThat the spiders wove to hideBlushes of the sylvan brideEarth, that trembled with delightAt the male caress of Night.Velvet soft the wizard trodTo the Sabbath of his God.With his naked feet he madeStarry…
Which of us twoShall the earlier rueThat day we chanced to meet?I with a heart that’s sound,You with sick fancies of pain –Which of us twoWould the earlier rueIf we chanced to meet again?I jingle homely lore,While you rhyme is with kiss –Which of us twoWill the earlier rueThe love of the Hoylake Miss?Not I…
Down crashed upon an immobileAnd brainless barrier of ice.Courage!The grey gods shoot a laughing lip: –Let not faith founder with the ship!We reel before the blows of fate;Our stout souls stagger at the shock.Oh! there is Something ultimateFixed faster than the living rock.Courage!Catastrophe beyond beliefHarden our hearts to fear and grief!The gods upon the Titans…
