Read Ebook: Perpetual Light : a memorial by Ben T William Rose

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Ebook has 413 lines and 18441 words, and 9 pages

Why should my clumsy speech so fall astray, To uncouth jargon of the every-day Turn each fit word and phrase I treasured for your praise?

Discoveries I won to from afar, All the rare things you are--nor know you are,-- In Orient offering I haste to you to bring.

I think to kneel and spread on cloths of dream The beautiful, the priceless things you seem; Perfume and precious stone, That you be shown your own.

Prince of my vision-palace, I would call Your name through trumpets down its central hall, And the rapt choral praise Before your dais raise;

And you should see, should hear, be glad and smile That I so love you. Ah, but all the while I may not show nor teach Save through my paupered speech!

Beggar in guise, who am so rich at heart Where you have set your pure white shrine apart And keep your cherished state Dear and immaculate,

How should you know or hear me, when my tongue Turns a dull rebel and doth ready wrong To thoughts my dreams repeat?-- Perhaps too proud, too sweet!

THE SONG OF HER

Thou art my singing and my voice, Thy life the thing that I would sing, Perfect past words of perfect choice, A lovely and a lasting thing. In every deed of thine, sweetheart, The poetry of heaven has part Beyond the gamut of all art, Leaving me mute and marvelling.

Thy deeds like rhymes I have by heart, Thy happy deeds of heavenly choice, Deeds that rise rapt and shine apart As echoes of a perfect voice Rise and rejoice when voices sing, Linger and ring--linger and ring Till heaven is of their echoing And all the heights of heaven rejoice.

Thou art the song that I would sing, The purest song of purest art, Till men stand mute for marvelling, Aye, till the singing break Man's heart Where sorrows glory to rejoice In perfect notes of perfect choice And strains of One deep, tender voice Transfigured joys from sorrows start.

In all this world I have no choice. If I would sing a lasting thing, Thou art my singing and my voice. Poor rhymes that earn no welcoming, Rhymes that are nothing learned in art, From heaven, from her, such worlds apart,-- Creep then unto her tender heart And from her living learn to sing!

"ALWAYS I KNOW YOU ANEW"

I press my hands on my eyes And will that you come to me. Your semblances shimmer and rise; Yet 'tis never your self I see, Never the exquisite grace And the bright, still flame of you. So, when I meet you face to face, Always I know you anew!

Faint visions I saw, instead Of your brows direct and wise, Of the little lilt of your head And your dark-lashed, sky-clear eyes, Of the soft brown braids demure, The poise as of quiet light, The perfect profile, sweet and pure,-- Never I dream you aright!

THE RIVAL CELESTIAL

God, wilt Thou never leave my love alone? Thou comest when she first draws breath in sleep, Thy cloak blue night, glittering with stars of gold. Thou standest in her doorway to intone The promise of Thy troth that she must keep, The wonders of Thy heaven she shall behold.

Her little room is filled with blinding light, And past the darkness of her window-pane The faces of glad angels closely press, Gesturing for her to join their host this night, Mount with their cavalcade for Thy domain. Then darkness... but Thy work is done no less.

For she hath looked on Thee, and when on me Her blue eyes turn by day, they pass me by. All offerings--even my heart--slip from her hands. She moves in dreams of utter bliss to be, Longs for what nought of earth may satisfy. My heart breaks as I clutch love's breaking strands.

I clutch--they part--to the wide winds are blown. And she stands gazing on a cloud, a star,-- Blind to earth's heart of love where heaven lies furled. God, wilt Thou never leave my love alone? Thou hast all powers, dominions, worlds that are; And she is all my world--is all my world!

THE TAMER OF STEEDS

Beyond this world where skies are free from stain, Where brilliant flowers blow in open meads, I heard the drumming hoofs of many steeds Raise maddening music from a grassy plain. They passed, with snorting nostril, flying mane, And fiery spirit; and the lad who breeds Their mettled herd, and pastures them, and feeds, Rode the black foremost, scorning spur or rein.

His eyes were like a seer's and like a child's. His body shone irradiating joy. He fought his furious mount with strength and art. And then my mind divined the glorious boy As Eros, tamer in the heavenly wilds Of all the passions of the human heart.

LOVE IN ARMOR

Love scorns that Love implore you To bind his hurts or heal; Prays only, arm around you, To draw on hours that hound you, To whirl his sword before you And fence your path with steel.

Not for the beauty of you, The peace of all your ways, He burns--but in your quarrel To hold the pass of peril, To stand at arms above you Against embattled days.

No comfort for his blundering He cries your heart to yield, But that his arm enfold you, His shield-arm shield and hold you Safe, when the foe charge thundering,-- His sword against the field!

WARDROBE OF REMEMBRANCE

Guises your moods once wore are hung within The closet of my mind. I take access This moment to regard them and confess How spare for want of you they hang, and thin. Pity seems all their argument may win, That fine, frail rustling of each mood's meet dress. Yet starts a subtle incense from the press, Crushed perfumes of the flowers your thoughts have been.

Sweeter than ever spoken do they come Again with finer relish to my mind Starved on your absence. False surmise is numb, For now in these reliques of you I find The smile you meant when rebel lips were dumb, The kind words agitation made unkind.

THE SECOND COVENANT

I dreamt that we were lying On a high hill afar, Our deepest thoughts replying To one lone star. High from the vault of heaven Its silver rays were shed; And the deep peace between us Was the peace of the dead.

Our busy lives were over, Our day and night and day; Of you and me your lover, Nought more to say; And sorrows we had vanquished And blisses we had known And our cares and our kisses To the four winds were blown.

The handclasp of contrition, The eyesight of each Where each had recognition, Were passed, with our speech. Vast night declared above us, "Now sight and semblance fade, No heart's emotion bindeth A shadow to a shade."

Then within me, lying near you, A dark sadness grew That, to cherish or to cheer you, There was nought left to do. Of happy daily service Nought now remained to me-- Of good news for you and comfort As once it used to be.

No beauty save the spirit's Abode wide heaven's scrolls; No charm the flesh inherits, No strength save the soul's; As breath upon a mirror All recognizing sign. Yet nearer far and dearer Your soul spoke to mine.

For viewed not of each other, Yet closer side by side Than child unto his mother, Than husband to bride, Thought unto thought you answered. One prayer we seemed--one breath; And the deep love between us Was the love after death.

DEDICATION TO A FIRST BOOK

Braver than sea-going ships with the dawn in their sails, Than the wind before dawn more healing and fragrant and free, Fairer than sight of a city all white from the mountain-top viewed in the vales, Or the silver-bright flakes of the moonlight in lakes, when the moon rides the clouds and the forest awakes, You are to me!

For you are to me what the bowstring is to the shaft, Speeding my purpose aloft and aflame and afar, Through the thick of the fight, in your eyes' steady light my soul hath seen splendor, and laughed. Now, however I tend betwixt foeman and friend through the riddle of Life to Death's light at the end, I ride for your star!

THE SHADOWED ROAD

Our shadows moved before us on the road. The trees that watched us brooded dark and still, Streaked by the frost with phosphorescent gray. Chill followed sharply on a gorgeous day Of winds, blown leaves, red bonfires. Faintly showed The mist-ringed moon above the pasture hill.

Light fell upon us from the glimmering moon, And light upon his face whose name is Love. Ah, the rapt eyes, the tender, quickening gaze, The splendor on that wild immortal face! Then hurrying cloud possessed the heavens, and soon I saw his shadow darken from above.

Beyond our own it stretched along the way, The darkness of Death's cowl, more deep than night. Gulfing our own, it blotted out the road, The shadow of Love that brightest dreams forebode. Yet, in my soul I found a thing to say: "Though darkness go before, we walk in light.

"This is Love's answer!" For Death's night must move Onward before two hearts that cast out fear, Joined by the closest of immortal bonds. They shall speak truth when prayer to prayer responds, "Death but precedes us as the shadow of Love. Light falls about us from a surer sphere!"

LOVE IN THE DAWN

Dawn, with hallowed flame, seemed to sing your name Through our open window as the golden glory came. Ardor thrilled me through; Dawn again--with you! "Up and at the world again! The world is made anew!"

Newly on my sight flashed the lovely light, All the ringing roads of fame glittered broad and bright. On again! with new visions to pursue; And dawn again, dawn again, dawn again--with you!

Other dawns may keep joy as pure and deep? Dawns of greater splendor may awaken me from sleep? Nay! they never can bless a stubborn man Like the dawn, the wonder-dawn with which this day began!

Oh, my deeds must take triumph for its sake! Loud my heart shall sing it while the mind remains awake: Words I never knew could so thrill me through-- Dawn again, dawn again, dawn again--with you!

"HAD I A CLAIM TO FAME?"

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