123 
 
 
 
 
 
BELLADONNA 
 
My heart’s blood hot upon your lips is reason 
 For the ensanguine banners of their bliss ;   
My white soul that your malice took by treason 
 Is the cold ardour in your cheek, and this 
My bower that was jasmine in its season 
 Is all your yellow snakes of hair, that hiss 
And fasten all their fangs upon me—these 
I knew, forget ;  they leave your saint at ease. 
 
I have forgotten all these things, erotic 
 While it was dark, while flesh corroded flesh 
With cancerous kisses acrid and exotic 
 Like orchids, while the star-queen flung her mesh 
Over us as we swam, one soul dicrotic 
 That blindly leapt through billow salt and fresh :— 
Oh darkness !  how the perfume of it clings !   
How then have I forgotten all these things ?   
 
The light came on us kissing.  Then I vaunted 
 My lust again, and drank that fearful cup 
But—what new witchcraft held my soul enchaunted ?   
 What necromancy sucked my spirit up ?   
I saw the demon-archimage that haunted 
 Your eyes, that had me to his house to sup