POEMS
of
LOVE
BY
ELLA WHEELER WILCOX
AUTHOR OF
POEMS OF PLEASURE; POEMS OF PASSION
POEMS OF REFLECTION
OUT OF THE DEPTHS
CHICAGO
M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY
407-429 Dearborn Street
Copyright 1905
M. A. DONOHUE & CO.
M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY
PRINTERS AND BINDERS
407-429 Dearborn Street
CHICAGO
CONTENTS.
"SWEET DANGER"
A FATAL IMPRESS
LOVE
I WILL BE TRUE
THE FAREWELL
THE KINGDOM OF LOVE
LOVE WILL WANE
THREE-FOLD
A MAIDEN'S SECRET
LINES FROM "MAURINE"
ART AND LOVE
ONE WOMAN'S HISTORY
WHY THE SPRING IS LATE
RIVER AND SEA
LOVE
IN THE GARDEN
WHEN YOU GO AWAY
LINES ON H--'S FOOT
A BABY IN THE HOUSE
RESIGNED
IN FAITH
I TOLD YOU
LOST
ONLY A SAD MISTAKE
SONG OF THE WHEELMAN
"THE OLD MOON IN THE NEW MOON'S ARMS"
THE SOUL'S FAREWELL TO THE BODY
LONG AGO
TAKE MY HAND
THE WILD BLUE-BELLS
A WAIF
A FACE AT THE WINDOW
SEARCHING
OUR BLESSINGS
GOING AWAY
BE NOT WEARY
GROWING OLD
THE SUMMONS
CONVERSION
ONE WOMAN'S PLEA
IF
A PLEA FOR FAME
A MOTHER'S WAIL
"THE SAME OLD STRAIN"
LIMITLESS
DENIED
WARNED
RICH AND POOR
OVER THE ALLEY
AT THE WINDOW
ONLY A KISS
MY SHIP
FINIS
LINES
OVER THE WATER
FLOWERS FOR THE BRAVE
THE PEOPLE'S FAVORITE
AN ARMY REUNION
THE CAMPFIRE
INDEPENDENCE ODE
"SWEET DANGER."
The danger of war, with its havoc of life,
The danger of ocean, when storms are rife,
The danger of jungles, where wild beasts hide,
The danger that lies in the mountain slide,--
Why, what are they but all mere child's play,
Or the idle sport of a summer day,
Beside These battles that stir and vex
The world forever, of sex with sex?
The warrior returns from the captured fort,
The mariner sails to a peaceful port;
The wild beast quails 'neath the strong man's eye,
The avalanche passes the traveler by--
But who can rescue from passion's pyre
The hearts that were offered to feed its fire?
Ah! he who emerges from that fierce flame
Is scarred with sorrow or blackened with shame.
Battle and billow, and beast of prey,
They only threaten the mortal clay;
The soul unfettered can take to wing;
But the danger of love is another thing.
Once under the tyrant Passion's control,
He crushes body, and heart, and soul.
An hour of rapture, an age of despair,
Ah! these are the trophies of love's warfare.
And yet forever, since time began,
Has man dared woman and woman lured man
To that sweet danger that lurks and lies
In the bloodless battle of eyes with eyes;
That reckless danger, as vast as sweet,
Whose bitter ending is joy's defeat.
Ah! thus forever, while time shall last,
On passion's altar must hearts be cast!
A FATAL IMPRESS.
A little leaf just in the forest's edge,
All summer long, had listened to the wooing
Of amorous birds that flew across the hedge,
Singing their blithe sweet songs for her undoing.
So many were the flattering things they told her,
The parent tree seemed quite too small to hold her.
At last one lonesome day she saw them fly
Across the fields behind the coquette summer,
They passed her with a laughing light good-by,
When from the north, there strode a strange new comer;
Bold was his mien, as he gazed on her, crying,
"How comes it, then, that Thou art left here sighing!
"Now by my faith thou art a lovely leaf--
May I not kiss that cheek so fair and tender?"
Her slighted heart welled full of bitter grief,
The rudeness of his words did not offend her,
She felt so sad, so desolate, so deserted,
Oh, if her lonely fate might be averted.
"One little kiss," he sighed, "I ask no more--"
His face was cold, his lips too pale for passion.
She smiled assent; and then bold Frost leaned lower,
And clasped her close, and kissed in lover's fashion.
Her smooth cheek flushed to sudden guilty splendor,
Another kiss, and then complete surrender.
Just for a day she was a beauteous sight,
The world looked on to pity and admire
This modest little leaf, that in a night
Had seemed to set the forest all on fire.
And then--this victim of a broken trust,
A withered thing, was trodden in the dust.