Rhymes a la Mode

Love the Vampire

[Greek text]

The level sands and grey,

Stretch leagues and leagues away,

Down to the border line of sky and foam,

A spark of sunset burns,

The grey tide-water turns,

Back, like a ghost from her forbidden home!

Here, without pyre or bier,

Light Love was buried here,

Alas, his grave was wide and deep enough,

Thrice, with averted head,

We cast dust on the dead,

And left him to his rest. An end of Love.

"No stone to roll away,

No seal of snow or clay,

Only soft dust above his wearied eyes,

But though the sudden sound

Of Doom should shake the ground,

And graves give up their ghosts, he will not rise!"

So each to each we said!

Ah, but to either bed

Set far apart in lands of North and South,

Love as a Vampire came

With haggard eyes aflame,

And kissed us with the kisses of his mouth!

Thenceforth in dreams must we

Each other's shadow see

Wand'ring unsatisfied in empty lands,

Still the desired face

Fleets from the vain embrace,

And still the shape evades the longing hands.