The Deluge and Other Poems Part 1

The Deluge and Other Poems.

by John Presland.

THE DELUGE

"The Sons of G.o.d saw the daughters of men, that they were fair."--_Genesis_ vi. 2.

DRAMATIS PERSONae

_The Seeker after Truth_ _His Wife_ _His Mother_ _Chorus_

SCENE I

_The wife and the mother spinning_

THE WIFE (_sings_)

Love, it is dark among your roses, The face of the moon is turned away, The nightingale is silent and lonely; Lean from your window a little way!--

Lean but a little way towards me, Out of the window where jasmines twine, Open the lattice, softly, slowly, Till the light of your eyes shall gladden mine.

Love, it is dark among your roses; And how, since the nightingales are fled, Can I tell your heart how my heart is lowly, To touch the ground where your sandals tread?

This is your garden; these your flowers; These stars have seen you; these dews have known; And now your eyes and your smile you give me-- Give me your love, and be all mine own!

THE MOTHER

Sing that again, the music soothes my ear.

THE WIFE

My husband made it for me ere we wed, And sang it in my garden; I arose And leaned down to him, and my fingers gave To all his kisses. Ah! those days were sweet.

THE MOTHER

Not sweet now?

THE WIFE

I am happy in his love And thank G.o.d for it, nay, propitiate With vows and offering; I fear a wrath Called down on too great happiness; I fear-- I know not what--Oh, I possess a gift So rare and precious, that, like men who go Laden with rubies, I am grown suspect Of all the earth and heaven, feel the stars Peer covetously on me. Every hour That he is from my side a cloud of woe Settles upon me like a swarm of bees.

Ah, is it possible that we can sin In happiness, against a jealous G.o.d?

THE MOTHER

Nay, nay, these foolish thoughts! your wits are strayed With too much brooding: let me bind afresh The knot of scarlet lilies in your hair; They fade already, for the sun is high Towards the noon: Ah, child, what waits for you But love, and yet more love, and happiness, And children of delight, and in old age Respect of all the peoples, and at last Death in his arms and burial in peace?

Still do you tremble, what is it you fear?

THE WIFE

Can you not feel a something in the air, A warning, or a presence, or the weight Of some unguessed-at horror, that, like dust Impalpable and deadly, clings and kills?

There is some terror--'tis my heart that speaks And warns me--ah! would G.o.d indeed, your son, (My love and husband) had another father Than that celestial being. This it is That puts eternal sadness on his brow, And shade within his eyes I cannot lift, Even with kisses; 'tis the angel nature That makes him sit spell-woven in a trance, Chin in his hand, and eyes on vacancy, And lips all bare of love, the while his soul Struggles against the bonds of finity.

THE MOTHER

Ah, how you love him!

THE WIFE

More because of it, This kingdom infinite I cannot know Though loving him.

THE MOTHER

Alas! so did I love.

THE WIFE

Tell me of love.

THE MOTHER

Beloved, what should I tell That his lips have not taught you?

THE WIFE

Tell of yours; So that I may compare your flowers with mine, Your doubts and times of joy, and how arose The sudden and sweet pa.s.sion in your heart; Did the world burst forth, like a flower from bud, All suddenly in beauty, when you met?

THE MOTHER

Ah, how your words have wakened memory, And bitter-sweet, like love itself, it is.

THE WIFE