Lithaniel and She
The dark wood is breathing blue,
and sense do I the sweet sound
of larks and their legendary love,
and sweeter scents still do I
drink of Apollo's bidding,
'neath forest roof and billowed sky,
Lithaniel upon her woody heights
Aloft 'neath crest of moons,
and a yawning lake of crimson trim,
wedded and blushing,
To sunsets red as soft sylph lips,
and dawns to dream of her beauty;
easy solace stretched out in all her glory
Many times have I entered her house
once bitter,
guilty of lesser climes,
drunk with evil;
Yet for the unfailing footpaths
winding with lilac copses,
' et le gentil colline'
sobered a fool and his silent darkness,
tamed to truth at last
No joys for my labors,
nor dull love gives me pleasure
with her arms empty to another,
a 'new' perfume to rouse envy;
Lithaniel's decor of sheen forests
and rolling solitude remind of her;
my hands touch leaf and wind,
yet not she....
Her soul in the shadow of all things,
her sweet breath in the waves of fields
and birds in flight grin of loss -----
such sorrow to grieve her while she lives!
Never could I have her always
as sure as my sight does see
beauty arrayed and stretching to lime seas;
love must go its way....
hazel-eyed with tears....
No pain could I hold her still,
us now too wild with death ----
kisses gray with ancient love,
her hand cold and unmet
Lithaniel I must leave,
as her ----
as she of old loves,
dreaming in the woods....
yet I dared to ask her,
many a memory past
' Come, walk with me once more? '
Once more we walked Lithaniel's
summer purge, cruel to a point
with bright hope at noon;
Children, and mothers and fathers ----
and a white and black swan
leaning still as two in swanny kiss;
Some new love is more the day,
fresh as spring rain,
the sun seldom takes leave
blinded by old clouds, but clear to smile
as a baby's glee;
We have wandered too far.....
there is no soul to each,
no soft peck and tickled whisper....
The world glows as some planet-god
no more,
Though I held her for a time,
in some strange wind,
she is gone -----
forever walking the setting sun
And Lithaniel weary with sleep
(the company of moons I keep)
Keeper of the elder love,
to soft shadows and sleep
(night shall be my gracious host)
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