Beyond this world where skies are free from stain, Where brilliant flowers blow in open meads, I heard the drumming hoofs of many steeds Raise maddening music from a gra.s.sy plain.

They pa.s.sed, with snorting nostril, flying mane, And fiery spirit; and the lad who breeds Their mettled herd, and pastures them, and feeds, Rode the black foremost, scorning spur or rein.

His eyes were like a seer's and like a child's.

His body shone irradiating joy.

He fought his furious mount with strength and art.

And then my mind divined the glorious boy As Eros, tamer in the heavenly wilds Of all the pa.s.sions of the human heart.

LOVE IN ARMOR

Love scorns that Love implore you To bind his hurts or heal; Prays only, arm around you, To draw on hours that hound you, To whirl his sword before you And fence your path with steel.

Not for the beauty of you, The peace of all your ways, He burns--but in your quarrel To hold the pa.s.s of peril, To stand at arms above you Against embattled days.

No comfort for his blundering He cries your heart to yield, But that his arm enfold you, His shield-arm shield and hold you Safe, when the foe charge thundering,-- His sword against the field!

WARDROBE OF REMEMBRANCE

Guises your moods once wore are hung within The closet of my mind. I take access This moment to regard them and confess How spare for want of you they hang, and thin.

Pity seems all their argument may win, That fine, frail rustling of each mood's meet dress.

Yet starts a subtle incense from the press, Crushed perfumes of the flowers your thoughts have been.

Sweeter than ever spoken do they come Again with finer relish to my mind Starved on your absence. False surmise is numb, For now in these reliques of you I find The smile you meant when rebel lips were dumb, The kind words agitation made unkind.

THE SECOND COVENANT

I dreamt that we were lying On a high hill afar, Our deepest thoughts replying To one lone star.

High from the vault of heaven Its silver rays were shed; And the deep peace between us Was the peace of the dead.

Our busy lives were over, Our day and night and day; Of you and me your lover, Nought more to say; And sorrows we had vanquished And blisses we had known And our cares and our kisses To the four winds were blown.

The handclasp of contrition, The eyesight of each Where each had recognition, Were pa.s.sed, with our speech.

Vast night declared above us, "Now sight and semblance fade, No heart's emotion bindeth A shadow to a shade."

Then within me, lying near you, A dark sadness grew That, to cherish or to cheer you, There was nought left to do.

Of happy daily service Nought now remained to me-- Of good news for you and comfort As once it used to be.

No beauty save the spirit's Abode wide heaven's scrolls; No charm the flesh inherits, No strength save the soul's; As breath upon a mirror All recognizing sign.

Yet nearer far and dearer Your soul spoke to mine.

For viewed not of each other, Yet closer side by side Than child unto his mother, Than husband to bride, Thought unto thought you answered.

One prayer we seemed--one breath; And the deep love between us Was the love after death.

DEDICATION TO A FIRST BOOK

Braver than sea-going ships with the dawn in their sails, Than the wind before dawn more healing and fragrant and free, Fairer than sight of a city all white from the mountain-top viewed in the vales, Or the silver-bright flakes of the moonlight in lakes, when the moon rides the clouds and the forest awakes, You are to me!

For you are to me what the bowstring is to the shaft, Speeding my purpose aloft and aflame and afar, Through the thick of the fight, in your eyes' steady light my soul hath seen splendor, and laughed.

Now, however I tend betwixt foeman and friend through the riddle of Life to Death's light at the end, I ride for your star!

THE SHADOWED ROAD

Our shadows moved before us on the road.

The trees that watched us brooded dark and still, Streaked by the frost with phosph.o.r.escent gray.

Chill followed sharply on a gorgeous day Of winds, blown leaves, red bonfires. Faintly showed The mist-ringed moon above the pasture hill.

Our shadows moved before us. By our side New mystery, throbbing through the rhythm of life Echoed our footsteps; and its presence grew So real to me, I felt its power endue An archangelic shape, whose phantom stride Rhymed with our own who walked as man and wife.

Light fell upon us from the glimmering moon, And light upon his face whose name is Love.

Ah, the rapt eyes, the tender, quickening gaze, The splendor on that wild immortal face!

Then hurrying cloud possessed the heavens, and soon I saw his shadow darken from above.

Beyond our own it stretched along the way, The darkness of Death's cowl, more deep than night.

Gulfing our own, it blotted out the road, The shadow of Love that brightest dreams forebode.

Yet, in my soul I found a thing to say: "Though darkness go before, we walk in light.

"This is Love's answer!" For Death's night must move Onward before two hearts that cast out fear, Joined by the closest of immortal bonds.

They shall speak truth when prayer to prayer responds, "Death but precedes us as the shadow of Love.

Light falls about us from a surer sphere!"

LOVE IN THE DAWN

Dawn, with hallowed flame, seemed to sing your name Through our open window as the golden glory came.

Ardor thrilled me through; Dawn again--with you!

"Up and at the world again! The world is made anew!"

Newly on my sight flashed the lovely light, All the ringing roads of fame glittered broad and bright.

On again! with new visions to pursue; And dawn again, dawn again, dawn again--with you!

Other dawns may keep joy as pure and deep?

Dawns of greater splendor may awaken me from sleep?

Nay! they never can bless a stubborn man Like the dawn, the wonder-dawn with which this day began!

Oh, my deeds must take triumph for its sake!

Loud my heart shall sing it while the mind remains awake: Words I never knew could so thrill me through-- Dawn again, dawn again, dawn again--with you!

"HAD I A CLAIM TO FAME?"

Had I a claim to fame?

Little to honor; Save when I spoke her name, Gazing upon her.

Then was I crowned of men, More than my seeming.

Youth's glorious hope again Bannered my dreaming.