love poems

CCXIV

Thy promise was to love me best
And that thy heart with mine should rest,
And not to break this thy behest
Thy promise was, thy promise was.

Thy promise was not to acquit
My faithfulness with such despite,
But recompense it if thou might
Thy promise was, thy promise was.

Thy promise was, I tell thee plain,
My faith should not be spent in vain,
But to have more should be my gain
Thy promise was, thy promise was.

Thy promise was to have observed
My faith like as it hath deserved,

TO HIS MISTRESS .

A CARVER , having loved too long in vain,
Hew'd out the portraiture of Venus' son
In marble rock, upon the which did rain
Small drizzling drops, that from a fount did run;
Imagining the drops would either wear
His fury out, or quench his living flame:
But when he saw it bootless did appear,
He swore the water did augment the same.
So I, that seek in verse to carve thee out,

VERSE

You don't know that I felt good
When we up and parted.
You don't know I knocked on wood,
Gladly brokenhearted.
Worrying is through,
I sleep all night,
Appetite and health restored.
You don't know how much I'm bored.

REFRAIN 1

The sleepless nights,
The daily fights,
The quick toboggan when you reach the heights —
I miss the kisses and I miss the bites.
I wish I were in love again!
The broken dates,
The endless waits,

And you remember, in the afternoon
The sea and the sky went grey, as if there had sunk
A flocculent dust on the floor of the world: the festoon
Of the sky sagged dusty as spider cloth,
And coldness clogged the sea, till it ceased to croon.

A dank, sickening scent came up from the grime
Of weed that blackened the shore, so that I recoiled
Feeling the raw cold dun me: and all the time
You leapt about on the slippery rocks, and threw
Me words that rang with a brassy, shallow chime.

And all day long, that raw and ancient cold

Beautie without Love deformitie
Thou art not fayer for all thy red and white,
For all those Rosye temperatures in thee;
Thou art not sweet, though made of meere delight,
Nor fayer nor sweet unlesse thou pittie mee.
Thyne eyes are blacke and yet their glittering brightnes
Can night enlumine in her darkest den;
Thy hands are bloudy thoughts contriv'd of whitnes,
Both blacke and blooddy if they murder men.
Thy browe wheron my good happe doth depend
Fayerer then snow or lyllie in the springe,

Dolus
Thou shalt not love mee, neither shall these eyes
Shine on my soule shrowded in deadly night.
Thou shalt not breath on me thy spiceryes
Nor rocke mee in the quavers of delight.
Hould of thy hands, for I had rather dye
Then have my life by thy coye touch reprived.
Smile not on me, but frowne thou bitterly;
Slaye me out right: no lovers are long liv'de.
As for those lippes reserv'd so much in store,
Their rosy verdure shall not meete with myne.

XIX.
Kinde in unkindnesse, when will you relent
And cease with faint love true love to torment?
Still entertain'd, excluded still I stand,
Her glove stil holde, but cannot touch the hand.

In her faire hand my hopes and comforts rest:
O might my fortunes with that hand be blest,
No envious breaths then my deserts could shake,
For they are good whom such true love doth make.

O let not beautie so forget her birth
That it should fruitles home returne to earth:

XIV.
Shall then a traiterous kis or a smile
All my delights unhappily beguile?
Shall the vow of fayned love receive so ritch regard,
When true service dies neglected, and wants his due reward?

Deedes meritorious soone be forgot,
But one offence no time can ever blot;
Every day it is renu'd, and every night it bleedes,
And with bloudy streames of sorrow drownes all our better deedes.

XIII.
Aye me, that love should natures workes accuse!
Where cruell Laura still her beautie viewes,
River, or cloudie jet, or christall bright,
Are all but servants of her selfe-delight.

Yet her deformed thoughts she cannot see,
And thats the cause she is so sterne to mee.
Vertue and duetie can no favour gaine:
O griefe, a death, to live and love in vaine!

VII.
Reprove not love, though fondly thou hast lost
Greater hopes by loving:
Love calms ambicious spirits, from their brests
Danger oft removing:
Let lofty humors mount up on high,
Down againe like to the wind,
While privat thoughts, vow'd to love,
More peace and pleasure find.

Love and sweete beautie makes the stubborne milde,
And the coward fearelesse,