* * *.

When I enclose your slender form
In heat of passionate embraces,
And I unleash on you a storm
Of ardour’s words in gentle traces,
You, silent, from my binding hold
Yourself then disentangle lithely
And answer, sweet one, love now cold,
With unbelieving smile, so blithely:
And unforgetful of forlorn
Accounts of all my indiscretions,
You glumly hear my vain expressions
With little show of love reborn…
I curse then all the faithless actions
Of oh-so-casual youth misspent,
Pursuit of silly rake’s transactions
In gardens filled with evening’s scent.
And then I curse my whispered passion,
My enigmatic verses’ strain,
Caress believing maidens fashion,
Their tears, and then their moan’s refrain.