Love's Defiance.

“Light of my life lie close

Oh! Love, I have found you at last;

Let me hear your low sweet voice

The knell of the aching past.

The lashes lie on your cheek

Oh! lift them and show me your eyes;

Twin stars in a mortal face,

They are soft, they are kind, they are wise.”

“Heart of my hungry heart

My hero whose hand is in mine

If we fall let it be to the pit,

For to-day we have touched the divine.

Time has stood still to-day....

This day which has squandered its sun.

It has been all glory and gold

All perfect days in this one.”

“Light of my life, my love,

My lady of dreams, lie near,

The evening sighs thro’ the pines,

Hark! do you feel no fear?

The light of love flashes out....

Oh! wonder so old and so new —

I am strong with the strength of that name,

Dear, when I look at you.”

“Heart of my beating heart,

My friend whose forehead I kiss

In the days which were not days,

Weaker was I than this.

In the years which the locust ate

My spirit clove to the dust,

But now — come fate — I am bold,

I build on a higher trust.”

“Light of my life, my Queen,

Let us quarrel no more with life —

The tears — or the final truth —

We are victors now in the strife.

With its purer days of joy

With its prison anguish too,

All myself, and the past of myself,

My darling, worship you.”

“Heart of my singing heart,

My lover, my lord, all hail!

Fear shall be underfoot,

I feel that we shall not fail.

In the shadowy land we leave

The grim wolves raven and bark,

But our hearts are steadfast at length

And our faces turn from the dark.”