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…s and promises May. Newly the bird sings of Love, newly he wooeth a maiden, Newly the heart of a boy leaps, and his eyes catch its fire. Light is his laugh as the sea, with no sad remem- brances laden ; Light as the sea, and as fierce and fickle is grown his desire. Here in the spring we are free, as the winds that look love at the ocean ; Change we and weary too soon of delight that is hardly begun ;
80 A BALLAD OF PASSIVE PAEDERASTY ENVOI Husband, come early to my bed, And stay beyond the dawn of light In mighty deeds of lustihead. A strong man’s love is my delight !
56 ALL NIGHT Dry separate dunghill of burnt Golgotha. But we will wrest from heaven a little star, The Star of Bethlehem, a lying light Fit for our candle, and by devils’ might Fix in the vast concave of hell for us To lume its ghastly shadows murderous, That in the mirror of the lake of fire We may behold the image of Desire Stretching broad wings upon us, and may leap Each upon other, till our bodies weep Thick sweet salt tears, and, clasping as of yore Within dull limits of Earth’s barren shore, Fulfil immense desires of strange new shames, …
Á¼±ÆÁ¿´¯Ä¿Å O½±Á 111 Á¼±ÆÁ¿´ ¯Ä¿Å O½±Á I know that winged sprite Who flew from heaven—was it hell ?— Into these bounds of light And music—yesternight— Had some new song to tell. I saw a living soul Flame into mortal dress ; Whose glance—a fiery coal, Whose lips—a ruby bowl Whose wine was wickedness. They were strange lips, I ween, Whereon no kiss might be, And teeth were sharp therein ; Ivory and white and keen, Tameless as hungering sea. Strange body of my desire, Voluptuous, lithe, and wan ; For, on my eyes drawn nigher,
76 A PAEAN IN THE SPRINGTIDE This is our trust and our joy—beyond death we look on to the far light Flaming from hell our last home, this is the key of our might. Come, fiery birds of a clime we know not, and sing us your paean ; Triumph of gods that are known secretly, not by a name, Gods whose implacable feet have trampled the god Galilean, Cast though they be into hell, given to death and to shame. Heaven and hell has striven in war, Sappho and Hylas, with Christ and Jah ; We are of those, though they lose their power, Never shall fade their…
… Á¼±ÆÁ¿´¯Ä¿Å O½±Á 113 Ah ! Love ! how fierce that night ! With what unsung desire Thy lips and mouth were bright, In mine eye to give light, And fire to kindle fire. Ah Love ! nor king nor queen Of mine exhaustless flame, But comrade of my teen, Spouse of that epicene Incontinence of shame. Twin Love ! Soul’s dual spouse, Dream-serpent of my life, Rose-garland of my brows Within that ivory house, Sex with itself at strife. Were I a wanton stream, Thou mightest bathe in me, Yet in that happy dream Methought my heart did deem We mingled utterl…
…nt songs, murmurs of a summer gale That my heart clothes within a mortal dress ; And with thy sympathy, their bliss or bale Shall be too light to shake my happiness.
…nds the sheaves Of yellow hair more loose, and weaves More subtly bars of song, that bear Bright children of love debonair, And laughter lightly comes, and reaves The garland from our sorrow’s brow, Life rises up, is girt with song, Joy fills the cup, that flashes clear. The year may fade in whispers now, Shadow and silence now may throng The seasons—we are happy here. Autumn is on us as we lie In creamy clouds of latticed light That hint at darkness, but descry
…a-wise Large, full, and moist, within them lies the silver rampart, whence there slips That rosy flame of love, the fount of blood at my light bidding spilt ; And my desires, if aught thou wilt, are with thy mind, and thy account With God shall bear my name the more ; give me the knowledge, me the power For some new sin one little hour, and bankrupt God the creditor : Steal from his stock of suffering ; his tender mercies rob at will ; Destroy his graciousness, until he must avenge the name of king. Strange fascinations whirl and wind about my …
…the blood throughout their web grows icy cold ? To thy red centre are my eyes held fast and fervent, as at night Some sad miasma lends a light of strange and silent blasphemies
58 ODE TO VENUS CALLIPYGE ODE TO VENUS CALLIPGYE Where was light when thy body came Out of the womb of a perished prayer ? Where was life when the sultry air, Hot with the lust of night and shame, Brooded on dust, when thy shoulders bare Shone on the sea with a sudden flame Into all Time to abundant fame ? CHORUS Daughter of Lust by the foam of the sea ! Mother of flame ! Sister of shame ! Tiger that Sin nor her son cannot tame ! Worship to thee ! Glory to thee ! Venus Callipyge, mother of me. Fruitless foam of a sterile sea, Wanton waves of a …
…, Draw spirit to spirit and nigher, That winds burst the wonderful portals And tongues as of fire. O Life of the stars in their glory, O Light of the passionate spring, How sweet and supreme is thy story, Most Wonderful, Counsellor, King ! O crucified, slain, re-arisen ! Burst open the fetters that bind, Change from us the garb of our prison And lighten the mind. O Spring, tell the bountiful Giver Thy smiles on the world are in vain ;
…re met to kiss the last good-bye, Because sweet glances weep for ruth That we must part, and love must die. Remembrance of love’s long delights Is to remember sighs and tears, Yet I will think upon the nights I whispered into passionate ears The fond desires, the sweet faint fears. My lover’s limbs of lissome white Gleamed in the darkness and strange light, The wondrous orbs voluptuously Bent on me all unearthly bright : But we must part, and love must die.
68 AD LUCIUM AD LUCIUM The Lampsacene is girt with golden dress ; His courts gleam ever with forbidden light ; I only bring no gift to him to-night, Being the mockery of his rod’s distress. While satyrs woo, and fauns, and nymphs give ear, I burn unslaked, my Lucius is unkind, He dare not guess, I dare not speak my mind, Nor feed upon his lips, nor call him dear, Nor may I clasp him, lissome and divine, Nor suck our passion from his eager verge, Nor pleasure in his quick embraces prove ; I faint for love, come aid me sparkling wine, That my unq…
…ugh lusty limbs grow idle quite ; Our mouths’ red vales are over-fain To suck the sweetness from the night ; And amorously, with touches light, Steal passion from reluctant pain. So has the daystar fled again Before the blushes of the sky, So did I clasp thy knees in vain : For we must part, and love must die. You say another’s sensuous lips Shall open to my kisses there :
…ierce to the portals of passion And satiate thy longing and lust In the fearless Athenian fashion, A rose amid dust. We will taste all delights and caresses And know all the secrets of joy, From the love-look that chastity blesses To the lusts that deceive and destroy ; We will live in the light of sweet glances, By day and by night we will move To the music of manifold dances, O Lucius, love !
…er, seems to sympathize ; Through selfish, yet despair in both our eyes Gives us a link of love. The darkling room Is fearsome ; one red light throughout the gloom Thrills my void veins with horror. On the couch The gruesome hound with sleepy stare doth crouch. His red hard eye upon me. Every shelf Of noisome books reflects my hideous self ! Lucky I burnt my picture ! Snakes on floor Writhe, lick my legs, I fear them. By the door
… love of sin, whose mere lust of perversion is so intense that it seems to absorb every other emotion and interest. Never since God woke light from chaos has such a tragedy been unrolled before men, step after step toward the lake of Fire ! At his house all his writings were seized, and, it is believed, destroyed. The single most fortunate exception is that of a superbly jewelled writing-case,