Classic Poem

I.

Have not I been as Love through all these years and given
The bloom of flowers and light of stars to thee?
Have not I raised thee high within song's bright-blue heaven? —
What hast thou given to me?

II.

Lo! flower on flower and star on star the bright months bring thee,
And songs on songs have floated o'er the sea.
My harp were traitor indeed if ever it failed to sing thee:
What wilt thou give to me?

III.

The flowers of fourteen years and all their love and laughter;
The singing leaves of every green spring-tree;
These have I given, — and more. And now what cometh after?
Just one swift look for me!

IV.

Just one look from the eyes that smote my youth, and slew me;
That now will leave not even my manhood free.
Just one swift flash of light that, lightning-like, darts through me:
This, — and no more for me.

V.

For songs and flowers and love and pain that Christ might covet, —
Pain deep as fathomless eternity —
Thy face to see once more, with hardly time to love it, —
This, this is given to me!

VI.

For limitless strong love, and shoreless wild devotion,
What meet reward, love, think'st thou, can there be?
What can the river give to the white-crested ocean?
Trust. — Give that trust to me.