Classic Poem

The evening, blue, voluptuous, of June
Settled slowly on the beach with pulsating wings,
Like a sea-gull come to rest: far, far-off twinkled
Gold lights from the towers of a city and a passing ship.
The dark sea rolled its body at the end of the beach,
The warm soft beach which it was too tired to climb,
And we two walked together there
Arm in arm, having nothing in our souls but love.

Your face shaded by the hat looked up at me;
Your pale face framed in the dark gold of your hair,
Your face with its dumb unforgettable look in the eyes,
A look I have only once seen, that I shall see never again.
Our steps were lost on the long vast carpet of sand,
Our souls were lost in the sky where the stars came out;
Our bodies clung together: time was not.
Love came and passed: our lives were cleaned and changed.

The winter will spill upon us soon its dark cruse laden with rain,
Time has broken our moorings; we have drifted apart; love is done.
I can only dream in the long still nights that we rest heart to heart,
I can only wake to the knowledge that my love is lost and won.

We were as two weak swallows, together to southward set,
Blown apart, vainly crying to each other while at strife with the seas.
We go out in the darkness; we speak but in memories;
But I have never forgotten and I shall never forget.