SHE was so recent. She had not yet learned The sweet observances that make their days Beautiful to the angels. She went dim Among their shining, and unoccupied Wistfully watched their pastimes. Then came one Who brought a fruit. "Eat thou," the splendor said. I will not eat," said she. For in his eyes She saw forgetfulness and was afraid. Then to her love on earth an angel came. We cannot heal her of her listlessness Nor teach her the new ways, and memory Grieves her with tears. She will not eat the fruit That makes us wise and shows us to forget." Dark is the road that leads to Heaven for one Who is not dead. No angel goes with him. Blind and with torn, vague feet and all alone He came among them. Through the shining place They saw him rush and saw the scarlet blood Drip through the brightness. To his Love he came, And, lifting in his haggard hands her cheek, He kissed her on the mouth and showed the fruit The Angel brought him -- terrible and sweet. "Eat, Love," he said. And she, that loved him, ate. Then smiled at him with unremembering eyes, And with her heavenly comrades turned away. With bleeding feet back to the earth he came, And through the barren days remembered her. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...PHILIP, MY KING by DINAH MARIA MULOCK CRAIK THE TEMPER (1) by GEORGE HERBERT THE NAME OF JESUS by JOHN NEWTON GETTYSBURG [JULY 1-3, 1863] by JAMES JEFFREY ROCHE LOVE LIES BLEEDING by CHRISTINA GEORGINA ROSSETTI THE WANDERER: 2. IN FRANCE: THE NOVEL by EDWARD ROBERT BULWER-LYTTON |