Chapter I: CHASE a shadow through the night,

A shadow unavailing; Out of the dark, into the light, I follow, follow: is it she?

Against the wall of sea outlined,
Outlined against the windows lit,
The shadow flickers, and behind
I follow, follow after it.

The shadow leads me through the night
To the grey margin of the sea;
Out of the dark, into the light,
I follow unavailingly.

TO A PORTRAIT.

A PENSIVE photograph
Watches me from the shelf:
Ghost of old love, and half
Ghost of myself!

How the dear waiting eyes
Watch me and love me yet:
Sad home of memories,
Her waiting eyes!

Ghost of old love, wronged ghost,
Return, though all the pain
Of all once loved, long lost,
Come back again.

Forget not, but forgive!
Alas, too late I cry.
We are two ghosts that had their chance to live,
And lost it, she and I.

SECOND THOUGHTS.

WHEN you were here, ah foolish then!
I scarcely knew I loved you, dear.
I know it now, I know it when
You are no longer here.

When you were here, I sometimes tired,
Ah me! that you so loved me, dear.
Now, in these weary days desired,
You are no longer here.

When you were here, did either know
That each so loved the other, dear?
But that was long and long ago:
You are no longer here.

APRIL MIDNIGHT.

SIDE by side through the streets at midnight,
Roaming together,
Through the tumultuous night of London,
In the miraculous April weather.

Roaming together under the gaslight,
Day’s work over,
How the Spring calls to us, here in the city,
Calls to the heart from the heart of a lover!

Cool the wind blows, fresh in our faces,
Cleansing, entrancing,
After the heat and the fumes and the footlights,
Where you dance and I watch your dancing.

Good it is to be here together,
Good to be roaming;
Even in London, even at midnight,
Lover-like in a lover’s gloaming.

You the dancer and I the dreamer,
Children together,
Wandering lost in the night of London,
In the miraculous April weather.

DURING MUSIC.

THE music had the heat of blood,
A passion that no words can reach;
We sat together, and understood
Our own heart’s speech.

We had no need of word or sign,
The music spoke for us, and said
All that her eyes could read in mine
Or mine in hers had read.

ON THE BRIDGE.

MIDNIGHT falls across hollow gulfs of night As a stone that falls in a sounding well; Under us the Seine flows through dark and light, While the beat of time—hark!—is audible.

Lights on bank and bridge glitter gold and red,
Lights upon the stream glitter red and white;
Under us the night, and the night overhead.
We together, we alone together in the night.

“I DREAM OF HER.”