ay God ! do not wait then! kill me now; have done! Why do you watch me mute and immobile, Sitting like death between me and the sun, A sphinx with eyes of jade and jaws of steel? Let me rise up to kneel to you and pray! I hate this hell of agony supine. You killed her yesterday ; kill me to-day; Let me not hang like Christ ! Now snap my spine: Surely you know the trick β€” when from your lips I see a thin chill stream of stark black blood Trickling, the stream ofhate that glows and grips My lesser life within its sickening flood. Be pitiful, and end your cruelty ! Suck out the life of me, that I may die! an { O.f β€”β€” V O brooding vampire, why art thou arisen? Why art thou so unquiet in the tomb? Why hasthy corpse burst brilliant out of prison ? Whence get the lips their blood, the cheeks their bloom? Is there no garlic I may wear against thee ? No succour in the consecrated Host? ~ Nay, if thou slay not it is thou restrainst thee. I am the virgin, thou the Holy Ghost. There is no comfort nor defence nor peace From thee (and all thy malice) in the world : Thou sittest through the aching centuries Like the old serpent in his horror curled Ready to strike, strike home β€”and yet not striking Till thou hast lipped the victim to thy liking!