How a blow should fall, such as falls on men, IX. It will come, I suspect, at the end of life, X. He stabs for the minute of trivial wrong, To a blaze of joy and a crash of song. XI. Witness beforehand! Off I trip On a safe path gay through the flowers you flung: My very name made great by your lip And my heart aglow with the good I know Of a perfect year when we both were young, And I tasted the angels' fellowship. XII. And witness, moreover . . . Ah, but wait! That you grieve-for slain truth, murdered truth: "Though falsehood escape in the end, what boots? How truth would have triumphed !"-you sigh too late. XIII. Ay, who would have triumphed like you I say! Abide and grow fit for a better day. You should hardly grudge, could I be your judge! But hush! For you, can be no despair: There's amends: 'tis a secret; hope and pray! XIV. For I was true at least-oh, true enough! And skulk through day, and scowl in my dreams XV. Men tell me of truth now-"False!" I cry : XVI. Far better commit a fault and have done- XVII. Misery! What shall I say or do? I cannot advise, or, at least, persuade. Have done no evil and want no aid, Will live the old life out and chance the new. XVIII. And your sentence is written all the same, worse: And my faith is torn to a thousand scraps, And my heart feels ice while my words breathe flame. XIX. Dear, I look from my hiding-place. Are you still so fair? Have you still the Be happy! Add but the other grace, I knew you once; but in Paradise, If we meet, I will pass nor turn my face. TOO LATE. I. HERE was I with my arm and heart From the churchyard neither, miles removed, Which stabs and stops, that the woman I loved Needs help in her grave and finds none near, Wants warmth from the heart which sends it-so! II. Did I speak once angrily, all the drear days What woman for me was the choice of God. I used to sit and look at my life As it rippled and ran till, right before, III. But either I thought, " They may churn and chide Yet I see just a thread escape, deploy And earth breathe hard, and landmarks fall, And my waves no longer champ nor chafe, Since a stone will have rolled from its place: let be!" IV. But, dead! All's done with wait who may, Watch and wear and wonder who will. Oh, my whole life that ends to-day! Oh, my soul's sentence, sounding still, "The woman is dead, that was none of his ; And the man, that was none of hers, may go!" There's only the past left worry that! Wreak, like a bull, on the empty coat, Rage, its late wearer is laughing at! Tear the collar to rags, having missed his throat; Strike stupidly on-" This, this, and this, Where I would that a bosom received the blow!" V. I ought to have done more: once my speech Nor, folding their arms, stare fate in the face, And borne you away to a rock for us two, Somewhere your slave, see, born in his place!” : VI. What did the other do? You be judge! Nor anyone else in the world, 'tis plain : As I, young, prosperous, sound, and sane, Poured life out, proffered it-" Half a glance Of those eyes of yours and I drop the glass!" VII. Handsome, were you? 'Tis more than they held, More than they said; I was 'ware and watched: I was the 'scapegrace, this rat belled The cat, this fool got his whiskers scratched: The others? No head that was turned, no heart Broken, my lady, assure yourself! Each soon made his mind up; so and so Married a dancer, such and such Stole his friend's wife, stagnated slow, Or maundered, unable to do as much, VIII. On the whole, you were let alone, I think! Of poets! A poet he was! I've guessed: Loved you and doved you-did not I laugh! There was a prize! But we both were tried. O heart of mine, marked broad with her mark, Scorned! See, I bleed these tears in the dark IX. If it would only come over again! --Time to be patient with me, and probe Where a friend might meet you; Edith's name Arose to one's lip if one laughed or talked ; If I heard good news, you heard the same; When I woke, I knew that your breath escaped; I could bide my time, keep alive, alert. X. And alive I shall keep and long, you will see! From gutter to cesspool; what cared he So long as he picked from the filth his prog? He saw youth, beauty, and genius die, But I will live otherwise: none of such life! At once I begin as I mean to end. Go on with the world, get gold in its strife, Give your spouse the slip, and betray your friend! There are two who decline, a woman and I, And enjoy our death in the darkness here. |