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BOSTON RICHARD G. BADGER The Gorham Press 1907
Printed at THE GORHAM PRESS Boston, U. S. A.
For in the morning of our love, there came The spirit singing such entrancing notes, As sweeps the whole empyrian with a flame, Wherein, a dream, pure lofty pleasure floats, And love and beauty find their mellow throats, In glorious fervor, drinking from the golden bowl, The wine of joy that binds them soul to soul, Thou art my muse and thine the phantasy With spirit hand to guide unconsciously. For all I bring thee, minion of thy beauty, This little garland of a memory fruity-- A simple tale, as old as love is old, Of virgin art within a golden mold, Still burning, molten, shaping unto glory-- A matchless song and yet a simple story. How mischief led a cold unwitting boy Along new paths to taste a sudden joy; How curious Love asport from flower to flower, Hath found a sense too sweet to overpower, And yet such magic sweet, that once is tasted, A moment otherwheres were eons wasted; How Cupid, wandering in a lovely valley With arrowed bow, by many a maid must dally, Till Psyche, like a prisms ingathered hues, Into a sudden virgin light he woos. Sweet Psyche princes in a golden land, And Princess still from bounding strand to strand, The fairest maid of any. Cupid heavenly born, Fair son of Beauty's queen, whom to adorn. Needs but to name, Great Venus Queen of Beauty-- Whom to adore was but a solemn duty. This lad whom she hath dowered with all her charms, A voice resistless and soft amorous arms, And named him Love, now raptured, lies, A simple lover in a woman's eyes. A tale of heart and soul, and so of sorrow, In afterwhiles when riches stoop to borrow-- A tale of being's subtlest jewelry O'erlaying grief with golden filigree. And I would soar on golden wings of song, And in the souls empyrian float along, From height to height of all the heart's dear chimes, To bless thee for the love that thou hast brought, With greater life. Let tender tinkling rhimes, Like pure white doves, lead on the lovely thought.