Why dost thou shade thy lovely face? O why <br />Does that eclipsing hand of thine deny <br />The sunshine of the Sun's enlivening eye? <br /> <br />Without thy light what light remains in me? <br />Thou art my life; my way, my light's in thee; <br />I live, I move, and by thy beams I see. <br /> <br />Thou art my life-if thou but turn away <br />My life's a thousand deaths. Thou art my way- <br />Without.thee, Love, I travel not but stray. <br /> <br />My light thou art-without thy glorious sight <br />My eyes are darken'd with eternal night. <br />My Love, thou art my way, my life, my light. <br /> <br />Thou art my way; I wander if thou fly. <br />Thou art my light; if hid, how blind am I! <br />Thou art my life; if thou withdraw'st, I die. <br /> <br />My eyes are dark and blind, I cannot see: <br />To whom or whither should my darkness flee, <br />But to that light?-and who's that light but thee? <br /> <br />If I have lost my path, dear lover, say, <br />Shall I still wander in a doubtful way? <br />Love, shall a lamb of Israel's sheepfold stray? <br /> <br />My path is lost, my wandering steps do stray; <br />I cannot go, nor can I safely stay; <br />Whom should I seek but thee, my path, my way? <br /> <br />And yet thou turn'st thy face away and fly'st me! <br />And yet I sue for grace and thou deny'st me! <br />Speak, art thou angry, Love, or only try'st me? <br /> <br />Thou art the pilgrim's path, the blind man's eye, <br />The dead man's life. On thee my hopes rely: <br />If I but them remove, I surely die. <br /> <br />Dissolve thy sunbeams, close thy wings and stay! <br />See, see how I am blind, and dead, and stray! <br />-O thou art my life, my light, my way! <br /> <br />Then work thy will! If passion bid me flee, <br />My reason shall obey, my wings shall be <br />Stretch'd out no farther than from me to thee!<br /><br />Lord John Wilmot<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/to-his-mistress/
