Love, what ailed thee to leave life that was made lovely, we thought, with love? <br />What sweet visions of sleep lured thee away, down from the light above? <br /> <br /> <br />What strange faces of dreams, voices that called, hands that were raised to wave, <br />Lured or led thee, alas, out of the sun, down to the sunless grave? <br /> <br /> <br />Ah, thy luminous eyes! once was their light fed with the fire of day; <br />Now their shadowy lids cover them close, hush them and hide away. <br /> <br /> <br />Ah, thy snow-coloured hands! once were they chains, mighty to bind me fast; <br />Now no blood in them burns, mindless of love, senseless of passion past. <br /> <br /> <br />Ah, thy beautiful hair! so was it once braided for me, for me; <br />Now for death is it crowned, only for death, lover and lord of thee. <br /> <br /> <br />Sweet, the kisses of death set on thy lips, colder are they than mine; <br />Colder surely than past kisses that love poured for thy lips as wine. <br /> <br /> <br />Lov'st thou death? is his face fairer than love's, brighter to look upon? <br />Seest thou light in his eyes, light by which love's pales and is overshone? <br /> <br /> <br />Lo the roses of death, grey as the dust, chiller of leaf than snow! <br />Why let fall from thy hand love's that were thine, roses that loved thee so? <br /> <br /> <br />Large red lilies of love, sceptral and tall, lovely for eyes to see; <br />Thornless blossom of love, full of the sun, fruits that were reared for thee. <br /> <br /> <br />Now death's poppies alone circle thy hair, girdle thy breasts as white; <br />Bloodless blossoms of death, leaves that have sprung never against the light. <br /> <br /> <br />Nay then, sleep if thou wilt; love is content; what should he do to weep? <br />Sweet was love to thee once; now in thine eyes sweeter than love is sleep.<br /><br />Algernon Charles Swinburne<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/choriambics/
