Page:The college beautiful, and other poems.djvu/68

56 AST thou brought the kiss that forgiveth wrong To his lips too cold to ask it? Didst thou deem the buds he missed so long Would blossom upon his casket? In the heaven-gate he may scarcely wait To look on thy last love-token, Now that the silver cord is loosed And the golden bowl is broken. The silver cord, the shining cord, With all thine heart-strings woven Is rent away, and by fiery sword Thy mail of pride is cloven. No tears so salt can cleanse thy fault, And the bitter words once spoken, Long ere the silver cord was loosed, Or the golden bowl was broken. The bowl that stood with thirsty brim From off its shattered edges Lets slip thy wine of love, too dim With old forgotten pledges. Too late, too late for love or hate. Be our words of pardon spoken, Or ever the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken.