Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, COULD I FORGET!, by CHARLES V. H. ROBERTS



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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

COULD I FORGET!, by                    
First Line: Ah! Could my wakening spirit but forget
Last Line: My love now dead, but once so wholly mine!
Subject(s): Death; Forget-me-nots; Heaven; Love - Loss Of; Memory; Dead, The; Paradise


Ah! Could my wakening spirit but forget
The pain, the pang, and wrong and vain regret
That fills my life's horizon,—a sense of wings
A-rift into the peerless golden cloud
Of Love; her mists extinguished; broken strings
O'er beauty flesh and blood, night-wrapt and proud,
Touched with the jeweled fingers from the sorrower's arm;
Nearer, yet nearer, secret sad alarm,
Thirsting anguish, chill of hopeless grief,
In sunset skies where daylight now hath fled.

Dumb the lips and breath that gave relief,
And crowned my life with all its gentle grace;
Those arms that softly twined, warm, turquoise veined
Around me—such hours never more regained!
So far away the laughter, song and glee,
The up-surge in the world tides distraught
Of other scenes in olden days, care free,
In passion measureless—trembling caught
Foam-flung, 'twixt boundless oceans unrestrained!
So tired of struggle, stress, strife and pain,—
As back the shoreless sea, and back again
Its darkening glens and half-concealed things!
The numbing fragrance of the Past—her eyes
Laid on me with the weight of destinies!

Love's glow, sweet touch, close-merging soul embrace
Brings Heaven itself, with all its joys o'er head
To throbbing whispers; tender heart-beats set
So partly human but more part divine.
Ah! Could my wakening spirit but forget
My Love now dead, but once so wholly mine!





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