romantic poems

I love you more than human heart can bear
More than a poet dreams or lover feels
You are the perfumed cloud from heaven sent
To rain upon me your enchanted dew;
I feel your heart, your veins flow into mine,
No gap to let the impure world creep in;
My heart confronts your heart, finding its twin,
As two cups meet in one ethereal vow;
In us when wine is made to mix with wine,
A blend of perfume, breeze, and dew combine;
My inspiration dwells within your eyes,
And swells when lip on lip instructs my art;

1. I love to steal awhile away From
2. I love in solitude to shed The
every cumbering care. And spend the hours of
penitential tear, And all his promi-
setting day, In humble, grateful prayer.
ses to plead, Where none but God can hear.

3. I love to think on mercies past,
And future good implore,
And all my cares and sorrows cast
On him whom I adore.

4. I love by faith to take a view
Of brighter scenes in heaven;
The prospect doth my strength renew
While here by tempests driven.

I LOVE my Love in the morning,
For she like morn is fair —
Her blushing cheek its crimson streak,
Its clouds her golden hair,
Her glance its beam so soft and kind,
Her tears its dewy showers,
And her voice the tender whispering wind
That stirs the early bowers.

I love my Love in the morning,
I love my Love at noon,
For she is bright as the lord of light,
Yet mild as Autumn's moon.
Her beauty is my bosom's sun,
Her faith my fostering shade,
And I will love my darling one

I love all shining things —
the lovely moon,
The silver stars at night,
gold sun at noon.
A glowing rainbow in
a stormy sky,
Or bright clouds hurrying
when wind goes by.

I love the glow-worm's elf-light
in the lane,
And leaves a-shine with glistening
drops of rain,
The glinting wings of bees,
and butterflies,
My purring pussy's green
and shining eyes.

I love the street-lamps shining

I LATELY lived in quiet ease,
— An' never wished to marry, O!
But when I saw my Peggy's face,
— I felt a sad quandary, O!
Though wild as ony Athol deer,
— She has trepanned me fairly, O!
Her cherry cheeks an' een sae clear
— Torment me late an' early, O!
— — O, love, love, love!
— — — Love is like a dizziness;
— — It winna let a poor body
— — — Gang about his biziness!

To tell my feats this single week
— Wad mak a daft-like diary, O!
I drave my cart out owre a dike,

I have praised many loved ones in my song,
And yet I stand
Before her shrine, to whom all things belong,
With empty hand.

Perhaps the ripening future holds a time
For things unsaid;
Not now; men do not celebrate in rhyme
Their daily bread.

I have a tree, a graft of love,
That in my heart has taken root;
Sad are the buds and blooms thereof,
And bitter sorrow is its fruit;
Yet, since it was a tender shoot,
So greatly hath its shadow spread,
That underneath all joy is dead,
And all my pleasant days are flown,
Nor can I slay it, nor instead
Plant any tree, save this alone.

Ah, yet, for long and long enough
My tears were rain about its root,
And though the fruit be harsh thereof,
I scarcely looked for better fruit

I dreamed I stood upon a little hill,
And at my feet there lay a ground, that seemed
Like a waste garden, flowering at its will
With buds and blossoms. There were pools that dreamed
Black and unruffled; there were white lilies
A few, and crocuses, and violets
Purple or pale, snake-like fritillaries
Scarce seen for the rank grass, and through green nets
Blue eyes of shy pervenche winked in the sun.
And there were curious flowers, before unknown,
Flowers that were stained with moonlight, or with shades

I dreamed I held
A sword against my flesh.
What does it mean?
It means I shall see you soon.

To love somebody
Who doesn't love you
Is like going to a temple
And worshipping the behind
Of a wooden statue
Of a hungry devil.

— I DO not love thee! — no! I do not love thee!
And yet when thou art absent I am sad;
— And envy even the bright blue sky above thee,
Whose quiet stars may see thee and be glad.

— I do not love thee! — yet, I know not why,
Whate'er thou dost seems still well done, to me:
— And often in my solitude I sigh
That those I do love are not more like thee!

— I do not love thee! — yet, when thou art gone,
I hate the sound (though those who speak be near)
— Which breaks the lingering echo of the tone