Page:Prometheus Bound, and other poems.djvu/160

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the world's sharpness like a clasping knife

Shut in upon itself and do no harm

In this close hand of Love, now soft and warm;

And let us hear no sound of human strife,

After the click of the shutting. Life to life—

I lean upon thee, Dear, without alarm,

And feel as safe as guarded by a charm,

Against the stab of worldlings who if rife

Are weak to injure. Very whitely still

The lilies of our lives may reassure

Their blossoms from their roots! accessible

Alone to heavenly dews that drop not fewer;

Growing straight, out of man's reach, on the hill.

God only, who made us rich, can make us poor.

heart, Beloved, have I borne

From year to year until I saw thy face,

And sorrow after sorrow took the place

Of all those natural joys as lightly worn

As the stringed pearls. . each lifted in its turn

By a beating heart at dance-time. Hopes apace

Were changed to long despairs,. . till God's own grace

Could scarcely lift above the world forlorn

My heavy heart. Then thou didst bid me bring

And let it drop adown thy calmly great

Deep being! Fast it sinketh, as a thing

Which its own nature doth precipitate,

While thine doth close above it mediating

Betwixt the stars and the unaccomplished fate.