The Star in the West

142 THE STAR IN THE WEST Further on in this same series of poems we come across an almost more lurid description of this Mes saline in “ The Jilt,” in which her new -found lover feasts off the agony of her last victim , which still moistens her blood -red lips : His death lends savour to our passionate life ; His is the heart I taste upon your tongue ; His death -spasms our love -spasms , my wife ; His death -songs are the love -songs that you sung ! Ah ! Sweet , each kiss I drink from you is warm With the dear life -blood of a man-a man ! The scent of murder lures me , like a charm Tied by some subtlety Canidian . Ay ! as you suck my life out into bliss, Its holier joy is in the deadlier thirst That drank his life out into the abyss Of torture endless , endless and accurst . I know him little ; liking what I know . But you —you offer me his flesh and blood . I taste it - never another vintage owe , Nor bid me sup upon another food ! This is our marriage ; firmer than the root Of love or lust could plant our joy , my wife, We stand in this , the purple - seeded fruit Of yon youth's fair and pitiable life .' So we see before us a curious form , at times cold as the marble statue of Pygmalion , and then , when the kiss of Venus had incarnadined those chill lips , all life and passion , transforming those ivory breasts into sharp points of liquid fire , and those still thighs into all the subtlety of twin snakes . Yet that mouth , breathing the purple fire of love , or cold as the dusty 1 The Jilt , vol . iii , pp . 99 , 100 .