A Spirit Present

IF, coming from that unknown sphere

Where I believe thou art,--

The world unseen which girds our world

So close, yet so apart,--

Thy soul's soft call unto my soul

Electrical could reach,

And mortal and immortal blend

In one familiar speech,--

What wouldst thou say to me? wouldst ask

What, since did me befall?

Or close this chasm of cruel years

Between us--knowing all?

Wouldst love me--thy pure eyes seeing that

God only saw beside?

O, love me! 'T was so hard to live,

So easy to have died.

If, while this dizzy whirl of life

A moment pausing stayed,

I face to face with thee could stand,

I would not be afraid:

Not though from heaven to heaven thy feet

In glad ascent have trod,

While mine took through earth's miry ways

Their solitary road.

We could not lose each other. World

On world piled ever higher

Would part like banked clouds, lightning-cleft

By our two souls' desire.

Life ne'er divided us; death tried,

But could not; Love's voice fine

Called luring through the dark--then ceased,

And I am wholly thine.