| |
| HE bent above: so still her breath | |
| What air she breathed he could not say, | |
| Whether in worlds of life or death: | |
| So softly ebbed away, away, | |
| The life that had been light to him, | 5 |
| So fled her beauty leaving dim | |
| The emptying chambers of his heart | |
| Thrilled only by the pang and smart, | |
| The dull and throbbing agony | |
| That suffers still, yet knows not why. | 10 |
| Love’s immortality so blind | |
| Dreams that all things with it conjoined | |
| Must share with it immortal day: | |
| But not of this—but not of this— | |
| The touch, the eyes, the laugh, the kiss, | 15 |
| Fall from it and it goes its way. | |
| So blind he wept above her clay, | |
| “I did not think that you could die. | |
| Only some veil would cover you | |
| Our loving eyes could still pierce through; | 20 |
| And see through dusky shadows still | |
| Move as of old your wild sweet will, | |
| Impatient every heart to win | |
| And flash its heavenly radiance in.” | |
| Though all the worlds were sunk in rest | 25 |
| The ruddy star within his breast | |
| Would croon its tale of ancient pain, | |
| Its sorrow that would never wane, | |
| Its memory of the days of yore | |
| Moulded in beauty evermore. | 30 |
| Ah, immortality so blind, | |
| To dream all things with it conjoined | |
| Must follow it from star to star | |
| And share with it immortal years. | |
| The memory, yearning, grief, and tears, | 35 |
| Fall from it and it goes afar. | |
| He walked at night along the sands, | |
| He saw the stars dance overhead, | |
| He had no memory of the dead, | |
| But lifted up exultant hands | 40 |
| To hail the future like a boy, | |
| The myriad paths his feet might press. | |
| Unhaunted by old tenderness | |
| He felt an inner secret joy— | |
| A spirit of unfettered will | 45 |
| Through light and darkness moving still | |
| Within the All to find its own, | |
| To be immortal and alone. | |
| |
