72 
AMBERGRIS 
One kiss a starbeam faint 
With love of a sweet saint, 
Stolen like a sacrament 
In the night’s shrine ! 
 
One kiss, like moonlight cold 
Lighting with floral gold 
The lake’s low tune : 
One kiss, one flower to fold, 
On its own calyx rolled, 
At night, in June ! 
One kiss, like dewfall, drawn 
A veil o’er leaf and lawn— 
Mix night, and noon, and dawn, 
Dew, flower, and moon ! 
 
One kiss, intense, supreme ! 
The sense of Nature’s dream 
And scent of Heaven 
Shown lin the glint and gleam 
Of the pure dawn’s first beam, 
With earth for leaven ; 
Moulded of fire and gold, 
Water and wine to fold 
Me in its life, and hold !— 
In all but seven ! 
 
I would not kiss thee, I ! 
Lest my lip’s charactery 
Ruin thy flower. 
Curve thou one maidenly 
Kiss, stooping from thy sky 
Of peace and power ! 
Thine only be the embrace !— 
I move not from my place, 
Feel the exultant face 
Mine for an hour !