Alas, my love, if I could make you And from the step forth and sit beside me Or still, bestride the steed I gave you Wrapped close within the I lent to hide thee Perhaps I'd venture to ask thy name while thou liest underneath my pen That given which the poorest claim was withheld. But if again I held captive as I did ere now Stalling to pass my fingers through the Of midnight tendrils, or thy brow In of sending off what heaven cast Too early for my mind To grasp the fullest detail and The presence that your image behind That in all thy glory should remain I fear my oversight I not mend For now upon I confess That secretly I did intend With long or surname rich to bless But rather let in my Run the thoughts of who perhaps you were Before your soul demanded your And my mind and willing heart to stir For such a noble and face Could well be but newborn unto sphere But sure among a distant race Thou known more than all who dwelleth here And could tell much of places thou hast And battles fought for won and lost And how each done a faerie Queen a brighter jewel than it cost The of your world, you may impart Desire to be neither Nor in the art Of living, where their lips were meant to A sort of feline they wear about them And while a flame of they hold In forests you fear to be without them For of maler kinds are ne'er so bold Yes, in thy orb a maid may be a (Thou knew'st a friend would upon this news) Without a whisper or censure slight For are not afeared their stock to lose Where no may be taken or be kept No property be granted, nor no No maiden may be while she slept Nor robbed of her to decide suits her best. No county's law is needed To cut the weed of violence from the No for the law to go unheeded For acts as these do not occur to The gentlemen you raise are rarer For in their eyes, as in the of thine Such soft and thrilling fulfill The darkest of their heart's design Their arrows, much those I gave to thee Could not but graze the of yonder cow Without making him laugh. 'Tis to see Them tickling prey. I know not how They do encapture what they eat Save that their bright unfettered brains Have learned what grows underneath their feet And in the trees above better A life intent on well tomorrow But how, I ask thee, most fiend Do and ladies love where is no sorrow No to overcome, no soul uncleaned Of crushing long worn out its stay, Betrothal to a mortal divine Than that who stole thy breath away No hot kisses for to pine No heart to age where heart is young No ill intentioned to evade? "Still madam! Would'st kindly hold thy tongue!" Thou sayest. "Your mistake has rash made In living long in with your kind see'st no other obstacle but these Thy hands are careworn that yet to find The hands that should hold them. Yet to please The hierarchy you serve unwitting Thou dost believe that love in grows That happiness in is not befitting But in thy sadness thou mak'st of woes For even were ne'er a cloudy day No to divide what love had bound The galley which the holds in her sway Could not but stir the peace it finally The is deeper than the sea about thee The stars upon my doublet you drawn May my homeward path, but how, without me Wilt thou escape the thou tremblest on?" And in way and more my paper spoke O, fierce, savage, beauty bright Thou who I've breath my soul has broke You had authority but not the Could I but see the lips dare not breathe They are so beautiful and pressing I but touch the wings that underneath Are made so soft thy heart forgets to Perhaps I should have more for which to You came to my domain and brought For though I be the heart alive The you speak of will not take me there Have you no Can'st thou not perceive That I, a blinded beast, had but the To see where I love? Dost thou believe ere you came I was but vain disguise? I know the murmur of reveals The things no human could comprehend I thou for all that torment feels And to be thy lordship's faithful friend Yea, quiet as a mushroom did I I willed to thee my form to I at each passing horse's gait And so I slept to suddenly Alas, my love, wilt thou kiss me The lingering will aid thee on thy travels I'll but one thing more, a crow to fly to tell me how thy tale unravels I say, art complete and free to go holds thee here save one who lives no longer? For I have given thee the life you The I become, thou art the stronger And in your antique words your clear Was that once thou art I should dismay thee, "Your thought mistook me, for I meant To leave not but offerest to stay. For true, I never did in my own Partake of pure love of which I told thee But be my guide and me at the helm And I shall, in the you wrought, enfold thee And journey to the ends of all the For thou proved more generous and wise Than all we faeries, and stars are worth For live we not but in your eyes." Dear nameless knight, if thou would'st be own And leave thy for a while thou may'st Find in these arms within which thou hast A better reason than the which say'st But with your hand you swear I so And 'tis not plain to me, I did draw it Which way thou intend for us to go in the mind it is of she who saw it Yet still I made thee to discover What one would do if one asked to choose 'Tween back and forwards. Be thee friend or you were to be my favorite muse Thou thy armor; fight but when you must Thou see'st the blade of below thy knee Use against all whom you mistrust But when ride'st my way, aim one at me world is yours as ere it was before Your time beneath my busy hand spent I've made a I love; I ask no more And never shall the heart I lent Me in my world and in thine Two petals on the same and flower And evermore I'll welcome in mine Your dear was my finest hour