Page:Maryland, my Maryland, and other poems - Randall - 1908.pdf/66

 Adorably Madonna-like,
 * By this communion rail,

Thy raptured face, though rich with youth,
 * Was spirit-lit and pale;

And oh those opulent blue eyes,
 * Those Meccas of despair—

They, they were glorious Eden-isles
 * Lost in a lake of prayer!

Saint Leonie! I saw thee flit
 * Gazelle-like to the street,

And pure, melodious angels led
 * Thy dainty, tinkling feet;

My rebel thoughts were petrel-winged,
 * Attendant upon thee,

Chasing thy loved and lissome shape
 * As Arabs of the sea.

Long did I love thee, belle Creole,
 * As Gebirs love the sun,

And in the temple of my soul
 * Thou wast the eidolon;

Long did I love thee, belle Creole,
 * Where corsair billows rise,

And where the silver planets soar
 * In unfamiliar skies!