Page:Tristram of Lyonesse and other poems (IA tristramoflyonesswinrich).pdf/73

 Live thou and have thy day, and year by year Be great, but what shall I be? Slay me here; Let me die not when love lies dead, but now Strike through my heart: nay, sweet, what heart hast thou? Is it so much I ask thee, and spend my breath In asking? nay, thou knowest it is but death. Hadst thou true heart to love me, thou wouldst give This: but for hate's sake thou wilt let me live.' Here he caught up her lips with his, and made The wild prayer silent in her heart that prayed, And strained her to him till all her faint breath sank And her bright light limbs palpitated and shrank And rose and fluctuated as flowers in rain That bends them and they tremble and rise again And heave and straighten and quiver all through with bliss And turn afresh their mouths up for a kiss, Amorous, athirst of that sweet influent love; So, hungering towards his hovering lips above, Her red-rose mouth yearned silent, and her eyes Closed, and flashed after, as through June's darkest skies The divine heartbeats of the deep live light Make open and shut the gates of the outer night. Long lay they still, subdued with love, nor knew If cloud or light changed colour as it grew, If star or moon beheld them; if above The heaven of night waxed fiery with their love,