Love Song.
The sweetest flower of latter spring,1
That only breathes the breath of May ;2
The prettiest finch on painted wing,3
By dropping acorn scared away,—4
My Love is fair and shy as they. 5
A bashful violet of a maid,6
She trembles at a gust of care ;7
But then she’s fairest when afraid,8
Her blue eyes look up in a prayer,—9
My little Love is good as fair. 10
Once I came back : she sat alone,11
Past midnight, in a dusky room ;12
On face and hair the firelight shone—13
Ah, happy me ! when through the gloom14
I heard her sigh, and knew for whom.15
Smiling that night, and crown’d with flowers,16
All eyes but mine my Love had seen ;17
I knew the music of those hours18
Was witching, but my little Queen19
Had sigh’d for me, her smiles between.20
I care not if her face be cut21
To shape of artists’ fantasies ;22
The light of it is nameless, but23
Fills all my dreams, and when I rise24
I follow it to my Love’s blue eyes.25