In the confusion of its night-dark folds
Can hear the armed man speak.
THE LOVER SPEAKS
A strange thing surely that my heart when love had come unsought
Upon the northern upland or in that poplar shade,
Should find no burden but itself and yet should be worn out.
It could not bear that burden and therefore it went mad.
The south wind brought it longing, and the east brought in despair,
The west wind made it pitiful and the north wind afraid;
It feared to give its love a hurt with all the tempest there;
It feared the hurt that she could give and therefore it went mad.
I can exchange opinion with any neighbouring mind,
I have as healthy flesh and blood as any rhymer's had,
But oh my heart could bear no more when the upland caught the wind;
I ran, I ran from my love's side because my heart went mad.
THE HEART REPLIES
The Heart behind its rib laughed out, "You have called me mad," it said,
"Because I made you turn away and run from that young child;
How could she mate with fifty years that was so wildly bred?
Let the cage bird and the cage bird mate and the wild bird mate in the wild."
"You but imagine lies all day, O murderer," I replied,
"And all those lies have but one end poor wretches to betray;
I did not find in any cage the woman at my side.
O but her heart would break to learn my thoughts are far away."
"Speak all your mind," my heart sang out; "speak all your mind, who cares
Now that your tongue cannot persuade the child till she mistake
Her childish gratitude for love and match your fifty years,
O let her choose a young man now and all for his wild sake."
