Read Ebook: Summer of Love by Kilmer Joyce

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Ebook has 340 lines and 18122 words, and 7 pages

Court Musicians 75

The Dead Lover 76

The Poet's Epitaph 77

The Subway 78

The Other Lover 79

Age Comes A-wooing 81

Prayer to Bragi 84

Imitation of Richepin's Ballade of the Beggars' King 85

Love and the Fowler's Boy 87

The Way of Love 88

SUMMER OF LOVE

SUMMER OF LOVE

June lavishes sweet-scented loveliness And sprinkles sunfilled wine on everything; The very leaves grow drunk with bliss and sing And every breeze becomes a soft caress. All earthly things felicity confess And fairies dance in many a moonlit ring; The fleetfoot hours fresh wealth of joyaunce bring; Life wears her gayest rose-embroidered dress.

Kind June, why bear these golden gifts to me? All winter long I hear the throstle's tune, All winter long red roses I can see, Reading the while Love's ancient magic rune. In Love's fair garden-close I wander free, So take your guerdon elsewhere, lovely June.

VILLANELLE OF LOVELAND

Loveland is fair to see, Of all kind havens best, Dwell here, my Sweet, with me.

Here flowers bloom for thee, Thy feet are rose-caressed, Loveland is fair to see.

The violets shall be Thy soft and fragrant nest, Dwell here, my Sweet, with me.

Thou shalt not lack for glee, Here life is but a jest; Loveland is fair to see.

None shall be glad as we; Ah, grant me my behest, Dwell here, my Sweet, with me.

Now would I ask my fee, Thy red heart I request; Loveland is fair to see, Dwell here, my Sweet, with me.

THURIFER

In a carven censer of burnished words, Swung on a golden chain of rhythm, For you I burn my heart.

IN A BOOK-SHOP

All day I serve among the volumes telling Old tales of love and war and high romance; Good company, God wot, is in them dwelling, Brave knights who dared to scorn untoward chance.

King Arthur--Sidney--Copperfield--the daring And friendly souls of Meredith's bright page-- The Pilgrim on his darksome journey faring, And Shakespeare's heroes, great in love and rage.

Fair ladies, too--here Beatric? smiling, Through hell leads Dante to the happy stars; And Heloise, the cruel guards beguiling, With Abelard makes mock of convent bars.

Yet when night comes I leave these folks with pleasure To open Love's great summer-scented tome, Within whose pages--precious beyond measure-- My own White Flower Lady hath her home.

EADEM

Sometimes within the garden of your sweetness I rest and dream and think of all the years Before my soul had bloomed to fair completeness, Those times of shadow-laughter, mixed with tears.

And in my dreams I see a gentle maiden Whom I once loved and whom I still love, Sweet, For she is like a rose with sunlight laden, And my lips ache to kiss her little feet.

She is so pure the very sky above her Is not so fair with all its white and blue, And so, my love, I cannot help but love her Although my life and love belong to you.

IN FAIRYLAND

The fairy poet takes a sheet Of moonbeam, silver white, His ink is dew from daisies sweet, His pen a point of light.

My love, I know is fairer far Than his, And we should dwell where fairies are For I could praise her there.

THE SORROWS OF KING MIDAS

King Midas took delight In golden vessels bright, And yellow bars of ore he found most fair; But he had never seen The dancing, glancing sheen Of sunlight on your dark and fragrant hair.

His wealth could buy him wine Made from the purple vine And sweet as all the blossom-breathing South; But he could never slake His thirst, nor ease the ache Of his hot lips at your love-pliant mouth.

SLENDER YOUR HANDS

Slender your hands and soft and white As petals of moon-kissed roses; Yet the grasp of your fingers slight My passionate heart encloses.

Innocent eyes like delicate spheres That are born when day is dying; Yet the wisdom of all the years Is in their lovelight lying.

SLEEP SONG

The Lady World Is sleeping on her white and cloudy bed. Like petals furled Her eyelids close. Beside her dream-filled head Her lover stands in silver cloak and shoon, The faithful Moon.

So Love, my Love, Sleep on, my Love, my Life, be not afraid. The Moon above Shall guard the World, and I my little maid. Your life, your love, your dreams are mine to keep, So sleep, so sleep.

LOVE'S THOROUGHFARE

As down the primrose path to Love I trod The golden flowers kissed my eager feet, The wayside trees with singing birds were sweet, The summer air was like the smile of God. "Turn back!" said one, "escape the avenging rod. Soon thou the deathless flames of Hell shall meet." But I pressed on and thought of no retreat, Till soon with fire I was clothed and shod.

But through the burning vales of Hell where flow The molten streams of bitterest despair, Made blind by pain I stumbled on, and lo! I stood at last in Love's own perfumed air. So, having reached my journey's end I know That God made Hell to be Love's thoroughfare.

WHITE BIRD OF LOVE

Little white bird of the summer sky, Silver against the golden sun, Over the green of the hills you fly, You and the sweet, wild air are one.

Glorious sights are in that far place Reached by your daisy-petal wing, Rose-colored meteors dive through space, Stars made of molten music sing.

Still, though your quivering eager flight Reaches the groves by Heaven town, Where all the angels cry out, "Alight! Stop, little bird, come down, come down!"

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