Volume Ii Part 104 (1/2)
Irene Rutherford McLeod [1891-
LOVE AND LIFE
”Give me a fillet, Love,” quoth I, ”To bind my Sweeting's heart to me, So ne'er a chance of earth or sky Shall part us ruthlessly: A fillet, Love, but not to chafe My Sweeting's soul, to cause her pain; But just to bind her close and safe Through snow and blossom and sun and rain: A fillet, boy!”
Love said, ”Here's joy.”
”Give me a fetter, Life,” quoth I, ”To bind to mine my Sweeting's heart, So Death himself must fail to pry With Time the two apart: A fetter, Life, that each shall wear, Whose precious bondage each shall know.
I prithee, Life, no more forbear-- Why dost thou wait and falter so?
Haste, Life--be brief!”
Said Life:--”Here's grief.”
Julie Mathilde Lippman [1864-
LOVE'S PRISONER
Sweet love has twined his fingers in my hair, And laid his hand across my wondering eyes.
I cannot move save in the narrow s.p.a.ce Of his strong arms' embrace, Nor see but only in my own heart where His image lies.
How can I tell, Emprisoned so well, If in the outer world be sunset or sunrise?
Sweet Love has laid his hand across my eyes.
Sweet Love has loosed his fingers from my hair, His lifted hand has left my eyelids wet.
I cannot move save to pursue his fleet And unreturning feet, Nor see but in my ruined heart, and there His face lies yet.
How should I know, Distraught and blinded so, If in the outer world be sunrise or sunset?
Sweet Love has freed my eyes, but they are wet.
Mariana Griswold Van Rensselaer [1851-1934]
ROSIES
There's a rosie-show in Derry, An' a rosie-show in Down; An' 'tis like there's wan, I'm thinkin', 'll be held in Randalstown; But if I had the choosin'
Av a rosie-prize the day, 'Twould be a pink wee rosie Like he plucked whin rakin' hay: Yon pink wee rosie in my hair-- He fixed it troth--an' kissed it there!
White gulls wor wheelin' roun' the sky Down by--down by.
Ay, there's rosies sure in Derry, An' there's famous wans in Down; Och there's rosies all a-hawkin'
Through the heart av London town!
But if I had the liftin'