love poetry

My own dear love I write to you,
Religion's scarce and preachers few;
I trust in God and daily pray
In the lonely mountains far away.

When I was on the ice and snow,
It hailed and rained, the wind did blow;
You gave to me a parting hand,
" And you wished me safe in the Cumberland. "

Unto this work I give my life,
But it is no place to bring a wife;
The promise that you gave to me,
I will give it back and set you free.

In winter time the wolves will howl
Around my door the Red Men prowl;

O woe is me, my heart is sad,
For I should never know
If Love came by like any lad,
Without his silver bow.

Or if he left his arrows sharp
And came a minstrel weary,
I'd never tell him by his harp
Nor know him for my dearie.

" O go your ways and have no fear,
For though Love passes by,
He'll come again a hundred times,
Before your turn to die. "

Oh if I were the velvet rose
Upon the red rose vine,
I'd climb to touch his window
And make his casement fine.

And if I were the bright-eyed bird
That twitters on the tree,
All day I'd sing my love for him
Till he should harken me.

But since I am a maiden
I go with downcast eyes,
And he will never hear the songs
That he has turned to sighs.

And since I am a maiden
My love will never know
That I could kiss him with a mouth
More red than roses blow.

The blossomed bean I love to see
It breathes in fragrance all of thee
The wilding rose I so admire
It bluims thy blush upon the briar

I love the hedge row walk at e'en
The scented bluim of bean & pea
They o'er the seeded grasses lean
And breathe of only love and thee

The woodbines bluim at mornings hour
I love to see its ruddy streak
For theres a hue upon the flower
That bluims upon thy bonny cheek

In summer time I think o' thee
A thousand times in sunny hours

With coal black hair and rose red face
And skin as white as milk
My sweetheart keeps a servants place
And wears a gown o' silk
I've loved the bonny maid for years
And love her person still
Birds sing my fondness in her ears
Of me she thinks no ill

Her beauty blossoms like summers hour
Her face resembles springs fair flower
Her face is fair her hair is black
I love the gown upon her back
My heart in melody does ring
Her praises I will ever sing
Her smile is dearer than the flower

My loving dear is very fair
As she walks at morning early
When bean blooms scent the morning air
She walks across the barley
The misty dew spread oer the glade
In sunshine glittered gailey
As forth afield mid sun & shade
I went with Betsey Bailey

Her gown was pink her stocking white
Her face was plump and roundy
To look within her eye so bright
Would utterly confound ye
They'd make you shrink beneath their light
Till words were spoke to quail ye
And then you'd sigh from morn till night

We stood beneath the hazel shade
Her arms lapp'd in her apron white
And lovely look'd the peerless maid
Amid the lingering light
I would have clasped she hied away
I talked of Woman and of love
She heard all that I had to say
Her silence perhaps my love approve.

We stood the last night all away
How full of Stars the sky
No further would the maiden stray
Nor with loves suit comply
The night came on & hid all round
The moonlight scarcely shone
I round her neck my fond arm wound

I crime and emnity they lie
Who sin and tell us love can die
Who say to us in slanders breath
That love belongs to sin and death
From Heaven it came on Angels wing
To bloom on earth eternal spring
In falsehoods enmity they lie
Who sin and tell us love can die.

Twas born upon an angels breast
The softest dreams the sweetest rest
The brightest sun the bluest sky
Are loves own home and canopy
The thought that cheers this heart of mine
Is that of Love — Love so divine
They sin who say in slanders breath

Fly to the Forest my lovely maid
The prickly Holly shall be our cottage shade
We'll both be glad this Christmas day
While I hold in my arms sweet Susan Grey

The Cottage is cold the Palace is rude
Green christmas is warm in sweet solitude
We've no pride to conquor or subdue
Nature is fair when my Susans true

Then fly to the forest sweet Susan & dwell
Neath the boughs of Holly in secluded dell
For under the tree My susan allows
To kiss her brown cheek neath Missletoe boughs

The maid I love is fair as driven snow
Her raven curls around her white neck flow
Like light from the darkness comes above
Is the beautiful girl that I love —

The maid I love is like the wild hedge rose
That by woodside in the hedge row blows
Her lily hand is hidden in a glove
Soft are the features of the maid I love.

An heart hidden thought it seems to me
A womans worth is there in a maids simplicity
Hope glances on her eyelids from above
Oh sweet is the presence of the maid I love —