love poetry

I take love at its word:
When things seem to be going wrong I take love at its word:
When the sun is eclipsed I take the sun at its word,
When my dreams fail to come true I take my dreams at their word,
When I lie languishing in prison I take freedom at its word,
When evil seems to triumph I take good at its word:
In whatever shadow of sorrow I take joy at its word,
In whatever failure I take success at its word —
When the heart stops beating I take the heart at its word,
When death prevails over life I take life at its word

When you defer to love in a book,
When you feel that there must be something wrong with love,
When you look around you wondering if those who see you may not impeach love,
When you try love by some measure not a measure of love,
When the opinion of the world takes the place of the opinion of love,
When to love is thought dangerous and to not love is thought safe,
When you wonder if the legislature may not set the bounds of love,
When you defer to love in a book about love and doubt of love in a life full of love,

The edition of " Der Kleine Kempis, " which Peter Leibert issued in 1795, bore the following title: " Derkleine Kempis oder kurze Sprüche und Gebätlein, Aus dem meistens unbekannten Werklein des Thomae a Kempis, Germantaun, 1795. " " The Little Kempis, or Short Sayings and Brief Prayers from the, for the most part unknown, minor work of Thomas a Kempis. " This edition unlike preceding ones contains a number of short poems by different authors at the end of the book. Of these poems, two are by Alexander Mack. Possibly more of them are from his pen but if so they cannot be identified.

I think my love does not know,
I think my love is satisfied not to know —
I think my love only loves — loves, loves and loves again: I think my love does not know.

My love used to be eternally asking questions that could not be answered,
Now I think my love asks no questions and would be sorry if any questions were answered
My love was once eager for the return of love, eager for the full return of love,
Now my love does not care, now my love will make no claims.

If I contained enough love,
If I provided in my simple love for all trespasses and all failures,
If I had size enough to see that no man however small is too little to be big,
If I acknowledged the griefs and still prevailed everywhere with my joys,
If I came along after the strongest had given up and revived you with my unequivocal strength,
Might I not then put a new face on the earth and give new meanings to the shining suns?
Might I not then plow into every soil with my gladness and prepare it for adequate harvests?

I spend my days and nights with those I love:
I pass without leave or hindrance into the nooks and corners of human hearts:
I who mostly rejected yet do not reject myself — who am in great favor with myself:
I go my rounds collecting my fee, the fee of love — making my claims so big:
Remitting no tax: demanding the last cent — the final drop of blood:
Hungry to eat and thirsty to drink the sure feast that may be set:
Turning aside into no minor currents but keeping to the main stream,

Once , on a bright and happy night,
At the full moon in September,
A fair young girl, in brilliant curls, —
Long ago, but we remember, —
She pledged her loving heart and hand,
In the joy of opening life,
Thenceforth to be, or weal or woe,
A fond and faithful wife.

And so two souls, like mingling drops,
Began their course together,
Making one life, — like rainbow hues
Blended in showery weather.
A day, a happy moon, a year,
The tide of time rolled on;
Days, weeks and moons, — oh, who can tell

And this is what Love said to me in the watch of our night:

Go into the broadcast world,
Try your love on haters, on the alien, thieves, those who take life,
Try your love in wars, in the drift and dreg of the underflow,
Let your love take lessons of those who do not love yet endure—of those who without returns yet live.
Why should you palter here with your untried love—here at hospitable gates?
Why should your love keep its feet tender and its palms soft?
Go with your love where it is not wanted:

A Farewel to LOVE.

Well, since in spight of all that Love can do,
The dangerous steps of Honour thoul't pursue,
I'll just grow Wise and Philosophick too:
I'll bid these tender silly things Farewel;
And Love, with thy great Antidote, expel:
I'll tread the same Ambitious Paths with thee,
And Glory too shall be my Deity.
And now I'll once release my Train of Fools,
In Sheer good Nature to the Loving Souls;
For Pity's-sake at last I'll set at rights

M ERTILL , Though my heart should break,
In granting thy desire,
To cold Clorinda I will speak,
And warm her, with my fire.

To save thee from approaching harm,
My Death I will obey.
To save thee, sinking in the Storm,
I'll cast my self away.

May her Charms equal those of thine!
No words can e're express
And let her Love be great as mine
Which the wou'd only bless.