Love Afar

Love, art thou lonely to-day? Lost love that I never see, Love that, come noon or come night, Comes never to me; Love that I used to meet In the hidden past, in the land Of forbidden sweet. Love! do you never miss The old light in the days? Does a hand Come and touch thee at whiles Like the wand of old smiles, Like the breath of old bliss? Or hast thou forgot, And is all as if not? What was it we swore? 'Evermore! I and Thou,' Ah, but Fate held the pen And wrote N Just before: So that now, See, it stands, Our seals and our hands, 'I and Thou, Nevermore!' We said 'It is best!' And then, dear, I went And returned not again. Forgive that I stir, Like a breath in thy hair, The old pain, 'Twas unmeant. I will strive, I will wrest Iron peace-it is best. But, O for thy hand Just to hold for a space, For a moment to stand In the light of thy face; Translate Then to Now, To hear 'Is it Thou?' And reply 'It is I!' Then, then I could rest, Ah, then I could wait Long and late.