Can I forget her cruelty <br />Who, brown miracle, gave you me? <br />Or with unmoisted eyes think on <br />The proud surrender overgone, <br />(Lowlihead in haughty dress), <br />Of the tender tyranness? <br />And ere thou for my joy was given, <br />How rough the road to that blest heaven! <br />With what pangs I fore-expiated <br />Thy cold outlawry from her head; <br />How was I trampled and brought low, <br />Because her virgin neck was so; <br />How thralled beneath the jealous state <br />She stood at point to abdicate; <br />How sacrificed, before to me <br />She sacrificed her pride and thee; <br />How did she, struggling to abase <br />Herself to do me strange, sweet grace, <br />Enforce unwitting me to share <br />Her throes and abjectness with her; <br />Thence heightening that hour when her lover <br />Her grace, with trembling, should discover, <br />And in adoring trouble be <br />Humbled at her humility! <br />And with what pitilessness was I <br />After slain, to pacify <br />The uneasy manes of her shame, <br />Her haunting blushes!--Mine the blame: <br />What fair injustice did I rue <br />For what I--did not tempt her to? <br />Nor aught the judging maid might win <br />Me to assoil from HER sweet sin. <br />But nought were extreme punishment <br />For that beyond-divine content, <br />When my with-thee-first-giddied eyes <br />Stooped ere their due on Paradise! <br />O hour of consternating bliss <br />When I heavened me in thy kiss; <br />Thy softness (daring overmuch!) <br />Profan-ed with my licensed touch; <br />Worshipped, with tears, on happy knee, <br />Her doubt, her trust, her shyness free, <br />Her timorous audacity!<br /><br />Francis Thompson<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-girl-s-sin-in-his-eyes/
