84
THE STAR IN THE WEST
Kiss , as we could
not ever kiss again
!
Kiss
me , between
the music of our sighing ,
Lightning
and
rain ! 1
A curious conflict this ’twixt
love and fear , “ honour
and lust , and
truth
and trust
beguiled ; "
they
wan
dered
in
the
scented
garden of man's heart , and
all
their restraint was
as
ephemeral
as
the fleeting hour
.
“
And when
the woman saw that the
tree was good
for food
,
and that
it
was pleasant
to
the eyes
,
and
a
tree
to
be
desired
to
make one wise
,
she took
of
the
fruit
thereof
,
and did
eat
,
and
gave also
unto
her
husband with her
;
and
he
did
eat
.”
(
N.B.
—
Husband
:
neither
church nor registry
office
is
mentioned
!)
Linked
in
the tiny shelf upon
the ship
,
My blind eyes burned
into her mild ones
:
limbs
Twined
to
each other while fine dew bedims
Their quivering skins
:
lip
fastened
unto
lip
:
Whole soul and body frenzied meet and clip
;
And the breath
staggers
,
and
the life
-
blood swims
!
Terrible gods chant black demoniac hymns
As the frail cords
of
honour strain and slip
.
For
in
the midst
of
that
tremendous
tide
The mighty vigour
of
a
god was mine
!
Drunk with desire
,
her lamentations died
.
The dove gave place
a
moment
to
the swine
!
Rapturous draughts
of
madness
!
Out she sighed
Uttermost life's love
,
and
became
a
bride
.?
Not like Adam
and
Eve
,
however
,
did
they
then
discover that
they were naked
,
such epilogues being
more especially suited
to
the author
of
“
Lot and
his
Daughters
”
and
“
The
Concubine
of
Gibeah
,”
than
66
1
Alice
,
an
Adultery
,
vol
.
ii,
p
.
76
.
Ibid
.
vol
.
ii,
p
.
77
.
Many
sins are forgiven
this
woman
because
she hath loved much
."