Dear Joy, what have I done thee,
That thou shouldest flout or shun me?
I who have said and taught
That but for thee and thine
No promise were divine,
And all fulfilment nought;
That this vast universe
Were meaningless, or worse,
Unlighted by thy smile;
And every seeming end
An open trap, to lend
Force to some wile;
That Nature’s self were just
A wanton, in her lust
Engendering life accurst,-
To wreck upon a sea
Of bootless change, and be
The sport of cureless thirst.
Yea, that in heaven above
God who is very Love
Would dwell forlorn of light;
Breathing out fatal breath
To quench in kindly death
Through one unending night!
Withhold from me your scorn,
And I as one new-born,
A child of Love and thee,-
Will live as not to shame thee,-
Dear Joy, do not disclaim me,
For few thy children be!
I’ll learn to laugh and jest,
Or singing, sing my best,
And for each doleful ditty
Wherewith I seek to drain
The poison from my pain,
Turn stanzas wise or witty.
Yes, I could still be gay
As any child at play,
If thou wouldest stand me by!
And having gladly lived,-
My fall from thee retrieved,-
I then could gladly die.
(Emily Pfeiffer)
More Poetry from Emily Pfeiffer:
Emily Pfeiffer Poems based on Topics: Love, God, Night, Light, Joy & Excitement, Smiling, Pain, Change, Heaven, Self, Singing- Quarterman's Grace. Part II (Emily Pfeiffer Poems)
- A Rhyme For The Time (Emily Pfeiffer Poems)
- The Wynnes Of Wynhavod. Act III (Emily Pfeiffer Poems)
- A Lost Eden (Emily Pfeiffer Poems)
- Six Studies In Exotic Forms Of Verse (Emily Pfeiffer Poems)
- The Rhyme Of The Lady Of The Rock. Fitte The Fifth. (Emily Pfeiffer Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Love Poems, God Poems, Night Poems, Light Poems, Joy & Excitement Poems, Heaven Poems, Pain Poems, Smiling Poems, Change Poems, Singing Poems, Wit PoemsBased on Keywords: cureless, unlighted, disclaim, stanzas, engendering, shouldest, wouldest, retrieved