MAIDEN MAY.

Other thoughts another day,
Maiden May, will surge and sway
Round your heart;

Wake, and plead, and turn at bay,
Wisdom part, and folly part.

Time not far remote will borrow
Other joys, another sorrow,

All for you:

Not to-day, and yet to-morrow
Reasoning false and reasoning true.

Wherefore greatest? Wherefore least?
Hearts that starve and hearts that feast?
You and I?

Stammering Oracles have ceased,

149

And the whole earth stands at "Why?"

Underneath all things that be
Lies an unsolved mystery:
Over all

Spreads a veil impenetrably,
Spreads a dense unlifted pall.

Mystery of mysteries;

This creation hears and sees

High and low

Vanity of vanities:

This we test and this we know.

Maiden May, the days of flowering Nurse you now in sweet embowering, Sunny days:

Bright with rainbows all the showering, Bright with blossoms all the ways.

Close the inlet of your bower,

Close it close with thorn and flower,
Maiden May:

Lengthen out the shortening hour, —
Morrows are not as to-day.

Stay to-day which wanes too soon,
Stay the sun and stay the moon,
Stay your youth;

Bask you

in the actual noon,

Rest you in the present truth.

Let to-day suffice to-day:

For itself to-morrow may

Fetch its loss;

Aim and stumble, say its say,

Watch and pray and bear its cross.

PLEASURE.

I.

TREASURE plies a feather,
Pleasure spreadeth wings,

Taking flight together,

Ah! my cherished things.

LOVE understands the mystery, whereof
We can but spell a surface history:
Love knows, remembers: let us trust in Love:
Love understands the mystery.

Love weighs the event, the long pre-history, Measures the depth beneath, the height above, The mystery, with the ante-mystery.

To love and to be grieved befits a dove
Silently telling her bead-history;
Trust all to Love, be patient and approve :
Love understands the mystery.

SOW AND REAP.

HOPE afresh, for hope shall not be vain : Start afresh along the exceedingly steep Road to glory, long and rough and plain.

Sow and reap for while these moments creep, Time and earth and life are on the wane. Now, in tears; to-morrow, laugh and reap Once again.

WHO scatters tares shall reap no wheat
But go hungry while others eat.

Who sows the wind shall not reap grain,
The sown wind whirleth back again.

WE Sow to reap,

Have patience, wait, betake ourselves to prayer: Deep answereth deep.

WHERE shall I find a white rose blowing?

Out in the garden where all sweets be.

But out in my garden the snow was snowing
And never a white rose opened for me.
Nought but snow and a wind were blowing
And snowing.

II.

Where shall I find a blush rose blushing?
On the garden wall or the garden bed.
But out in my garden the rain was rushing
And never a blush rose raised its head.
Nothing glowing, flushing or blushing:
Rain rushing.

III.

Where shall I find a red rose budding? –
Out in the garden where all things grow.
But out in my garden a flood was flooding,
And never a red rose begun to blow.
Out in a flooding what should be budding?
All flooding!