@2S@1HE had a lover in the world, A lover wooing her to wed; "And does he live, or is he dead?" She knows not, but she bows her head, And broods upon the blesséd beads, And spends the day in holy deeds. "Mary, for one," she intercedes, "Who is not good, thy grace I crave; Madonna, grant his soul to save! "He is not good, but, ah! so brave, And strong, and tall, and careless-glad— Careless and proud, my lover-lad! "Madonna, I am very sad; I do not know, I cannot hear— And once I held him passing dear. "O Mother, let me breathe my fear Into your bosom true and pure: I am not sure! I am not sure! " 'To wed the Christ shall be my cure,' I thought: 'I must no earthly love, But fix my heart on Him above.' "Bear witness, Mary, how I strove To melt his image into thine, And thy dear Son's, incarnadine! "And wilt thou not bestow a sign? May not my rebel heart be blest? Or is't unworthy of thy rest? "Here in the twilight I've confest, Mary, to thee alone—thou knowest How I, among thy maidens lowest, "How I, even I, adore; and owest Thou not thy votary a grace?— Once more, but once, to see his face! "Mother, I clasp thy knees, embrace Them, kiss them, in abandonment! But once—and I shall be content! "Too weak and wrong for thine assent? Nay, Mary, she was not a nun Who bore thee, and who yearned to @3one@1. "And thou thyself didst bear a Son (Whose name be praised!)—Saint through and through, O Mary, thou'rt a woman, too!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SONNETS FROM THE PORTUGUESE: 20 by ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING TO A SHADE by WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS BALLADE OF A TRAVELLER'S JINX by FRANKLIN PIERCE ADAMS ECCLESIASTES: THE LIGHT IS SWEET by OLD TESTAMENT BIBLE SECTION GANG: DAYBREAK by NORMAN BOLKER |