* ^o'--W\^'' "^^ °'"** /\ --W' ^^''^^'^ > jj* •■•'•♦ ^ o~ « • • • « "^. '"' .%* % *••" bV •• <5o* \. .^<:^i.X ./.:^^'.\. .c°^ 3^ VERSES iCopyrighted. 1902) BY C. MAUGHS o • „ o > • 1 » , O 5 J 5 NEW YORK: THE IRVING COMPANY PUBLISHERS THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, Two Copies Received m. 5 1902 Copyright ^^ntoy bIaSS ^^Xa No COPY 3. MONSEIGNEUR. firm, pure lips, that smile so sweet. With knowledge so pure and deep; Tell me from out your Karmatie keep, Smiling on me who awake from long sleep, Is love the mystery and beauty I think? poet-soul, you who have grasped the truth. That others are content to seem; Speak but to me yearning in sorrow and ruth, tell me yearning to know the truth; Is love always sweet as our dreams? Say but a word of this deep, new song, Of the love between soul and soul, Tell, oh tell me who wonder and long. Say to me, you who are grand and strong — tell me can such love ere grow cold? FAINT NOT THOU IN THY STRONG HEART. Thou savest, live — and thou wilt not forget. I clasp my hands and sullen look in life's face. 'Tis better, I think, to let my soul escape — and yet — And yet — can this heart hold thro' the race ? Can I sit and watch the drops of life Run out from a heart till the last be bled ? Who is the judge? What is the choice of God? Some devil throws into my life's full-tide, A stone — and the waters chafe and strive ever to pass this rod — What — I am threatening God — I can turn it aside? A look from thine eyes will quiet the strife : quiet grave I Is it of thy peace I read ? 1 would go far from the world : I would hold Your hand unto my lips, and kneel — Say not farewell, dearest I Thou canst make This rebel heart grow still : heart — brain — reel I 4 Faint Not Thou in Thy Strong Heart. 1 am your captive, and wliile life endures, Xay, — soul, — shall hold life's sweetest flow- ers thine. Love's full measure shall be meted out With royal hand to thee, king of mine, Who ne'er can do wrong — heart, thou canst not doubt ! Thine eyes have baptized this soul in fire: cup of wine, Thou art but tears slow bled from a cut vine — Let be! — Here, I drink to thee, — thus! Ever thine. WHEREUNTO MAY I LIKEN THEE? The sea is deep, dearest, deeper still my love. I cannot shut thy dear face from out my heart ; Thou resteth there and the heaven above Shall lean gently down to bless thee, my love. Deep in thy eyes so true and fond — I see a soul, dreaming, serenely bright. Their deep tranqillity speaks to me of the strange and vast beyond — Of the yearning for that unattainable, mys- tic light ! My soul is fragrant with thy clinging kiss. My hand ennobled — for it on thy strong breast hath lain. And this soft touch my fingers thrilling, My heart doth long for as thirsty desert for gentle rain. 6 Whcrcunto May I Liken Thcc? My eyes so long for thee: my heart cries out continually — from this grief which treads on jo}^, set me free ! To thy soul's eagle flight 1 fain would soar; Thou, mine own true king, I love and I adore ! ONE DAY MORE ! love, a tired day has passed — All life seems changed; Thy sky's bright beauty overcast; The heavens — the clouds — seem strange. Let me see in thy dear eyes ! Canst think this heart untrue? love, could'st ever change? Thou art my king; And I will thee ever love. The forest hath the music of its leaves; And heaven its bright blue stars above; And I — I have thee — All thy great heart, love! hasten thy coming to me. 0, King, so strong and brave, lift my sick heart to thee! And from this sorrow which followeth glad- ness — set me free ! To thy soul's eagle flight I fain would soar; Thou, mine own true king — I love and I adore. THE MOON HAS SET. O, what shall be to-morrow — The sadness of to-night? Can the heart endure this sorrow. Crushed out of sight? Forgive these wild tears, love. Must such madness be? Let sleep lock fast my grief, love. And dream — loving thee. O world, as God has made it, all is beauty : And knowing this is love — And love is duty — What further may be sought for or declared ? ATTHIS. 0, to know that wild thirst — to have always present That gnawing hunger of the soul — The thirst— the hunger one cannot quiet — The fierce desires — the heart wild with the struggle— O agony ! to feel that life's dark sea Has barred my soul from thee; To look into the eyes — to touch the cheek — And know there is no healing From the glance, deep love revealing — And to know that inexorable, tierce an- guish Of strong desire — of dreams born but to coldly languish — agony ! 10 LETO TO XIOBE. Soft o'er the forest the eve is declining, Softly the sweet breeze comes from afar; Hushed is the voice of sweet birds swift- winging, Pale shines the light from yon quiet star. While thro' the night's tranquil mystery my lover. With heart more precious than heaven e'er bore. Comes with soft-smiling, exquisite fervor, To his tryst — true knight to adore. Swiftly he comes under the shade of dark boughs, To win for one hour the birth-right of Gods— Softly he comes — my dream — my desire! A soft radiant glory fills the still night. Heart to heart — soul to soul — one moment — the beauty and grace of his eyes' unutter- able light — And must love's sorrow tear's from these eyes wring ? 0, to save thee — to reprieve thee — my lover, my king! it "FATAL CYPRIAN.'^ To-night, when 1 beheld thee, came such wild desires thronging, Despite my coldest, strongest self-con- trol- Such passionate regret — such intense long- ing, That tempest-tossed are all the strong passions of my soul ! Just when I dreamed I had succeeded In raising a firm barrier that rests above, And all the fatal wishes from my heart had weeded Of every blossom of despairing love ! Across my heart a sudden storm came sweep- ing— And behold ! The barriers fell broken at my feet ; Desires awake like fire l(';i])iiig — Thy presence breathed out a fragrance too subtly sweet. J2 ''Fatal Cyprian/' And such an unutterable longing to possess thee Ean surging through my being with its wild unrest; 0, to reach out mine arms and forever fold thee Close to my rapturous, gladdened breast! And then you passed from me — and the dark current Of my sad life foamed recklessly along; And now I struggle in the torrent — God ! God ! hold me that I may do no other heart a wrong! 13 MY FRIEND. Leave me not, friend, My star of consolation ! Lend me thy great spirit's light For my path's illumination. My heart with weakness faints, Desiring I know not what; give me of thy great heart's strength; My friend, leave me not ! Ijeave me not, my friend ! Thou all of love and power; Let the grace of thy dear eyes In my black and evil hours, Uphold — compel the rebel fires Which burn within so hot, Stay thou near me ; Ever mv friend — leave me not! 14 A DREAM. "O gods, what love, what yearning, contributed to this."— Sappho. Thro' all the sweet night that is vanished and gone — From the light of first stars to the rose of coming dawn ; In a shadow of beauty and perfume divine, We met in a dream, lover of mine. Softly the glory of love stole over thy face As I leaned on thy breast in sweetest em- brace — And my bosom thrilled with exquisite de- light, Touched by the fire of the wild heart trem- bling 'neath mine. 0, the love light in thy eyes. And the softest, divinest caresses, and sighs With the flower of love o'erblown — And thy voice low and sweet as music di- vine. f5 A Drcam^ The dream has vanished — the night wind moans With sorrow for the coming morn — I am alone — Yet thy dear love — thy caresses — burn on my breast — And I drink, love, to thee, in this violet- crowned chalice of rapture! 16 AD COELUM TENDENS LUMINA. What is the aim of life and efforts here: Short, imperfect, sad — Is it of such vahie as the lighting of the candle ? But the candle — the great infinite above — beyond — Can we not grasp the hope of something yet to come? Take this from the heart and all is darkest shadow : Standing in the glory of a present happi- ness The gloom of to-morrow ol)scures the bright- est sun. Is this true? Are we so lowly couraged? Is life an idle dream? Without this help, yes ; The flowers of the soul must die, and in the darkness Bloom the deadly night-shade of despair. But has there not been writ : "Who follow- eth Me Walketh not in darkness, but the light of life"— J7 Ad Coelom Tendens Lomina* And may our sore hearts lean upon these words — And is this why we are so wounded ? Hearts, Souls, so crushed in the wine-press of griev- ous sorrows That we may look beyond — above? Yea, this must be — and set high above the clouds, Glitters the star of hope the great God has given unto us. And the star of love which is life — mysteri- ous life and love — Blessed be God forever, who has given This great and holy gift to lift Our souls higher, o'on to the stars — Ad majorem Dei gloriam ! 18 SOLATOR. Succor me, Christ ! Stretch forth Thy ever tender hand. For I am sinking in a wilder sea Than Thy beloved in the stormy Galilee. The soul thou gavest life stands despairing on the cold sands. My heart is weary of this faithless, famine- stricken land, Wherefrom all truth, high impulse, has fled forth inexorably ; And this wild soul tliou savest or in despair it dies. If it flies forth this night and in Thy pres- ence stands. The dew of agony falls from this brow like rain: The night that giveth rest falls like a leaden pall. Forehead, thorn-entwined, Heart, so sadly slain! Thou, crucified, wounded One, put forth Thy hand— still all— X9 Solatof. ^^y — peace — staunch the pierced Heart — - it shall he whole again — The sea hath calms — the winds hath rest — And a pause must come to seeming endless agony ; And the welcome silence of most sweet death to this o'er-wearied hreast. 20 CHILD OF MGHT. The sun sinks to darkness — The lonely night draws near, And my heart faints witli sadness, And grows cold with fear — love — life's sorrow Enfold me — close — yet more near ! Just to-night — hohl me — death comes on the morrow, Tt whispers soft — whispers low — in my ear. 0, the night's silent sadness — fathomless — That falls on my soul ! Stirring wild thoughts from its (\