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A COLLOQUY IN SLEEP

Did ever aught make love to you as I?

Ah, no!

Oh, yes-the mirror and the sea;
The sea communes with you as silently,
The mirror and I hold your beauties high-
We love you as our queen and never lie.

You scarcely know my voice-how can I be
Your queen? You must give over seeing me.

Raiment and food and drink would you deny?
You have the worship of mine eyes, and rare
Devotion such as none may mar or break:
What more?

Your very silence is unfair-
Nor will you let me speak when I'm awake!

You speak to me in music everywhere,

Through all sweet music that the masters make.

John Regnault Ellyson

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Alas! that we drifted apart

Faster than pear-petals fall to the ground!

STUDY

Oh carrot cat, slinking over the snow,

Your skin is blue, where the bitter wind ruffles your fur.
Can you not find one shivering sparrow in all this white

world?

DOMESTIC

Sometimes,
Having read
By the fireside

Through a long evening,

I look up.

The old people

Apathetically

Are sitting,

The dim eyes gazing

In the past

That seems so good.

And then pity

Dews all my sight.

For old age

Is the guerdon,

The only laurels,

Of their life.

And mine, uncrowned,

So far away,

I cannot cry

"Hail!"

DOUBLE

Through the day, meekly, I am my mother's child. Through the night riotously I ride great horses.

In ranks we gallop, gallop,
Thundering on

Through the night

With the wind.

But in the pale day I sit, quiet.

TOWN-MOUSE

These things for today:

The threat of rain,

And great hasting clouds;

Wet soil's scent;

Fine cobwebs on the heather;

Keen air!

Even a park of green lawns,

Bare boughs and brown sparrows!

Oh, for no roof overhead

And full lungs!

These things for today.

ENOUGH HAS BEEN SAID OF SUNSET

Double

I

Light-imperceptible as

One thin veil drawn across blackness:

Is it dawn? .

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Now bright grayness creeping

Drowns the dark; and waves of sea-wind

Rock the thin leaves.

A door bangs; sharp barks from dogs released, scampering. After some silence, footsteps.

And the rising bustle of people

Roused by the day-break.

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