But oh! 'twas hard to have him go,--to know
And sigh, and long for one hand-clasped; one sound
Of that soft, pleasant voice, to me so sweet;
One glance of those dear eyes I loved to meet.
~~Celia E. Gardiner~~
The cords of love must be strong as death
Which hold and keep a heart,
Not daisy-chains, that snap in the breeze,
Or break with their weight apart.
~~Phoebe Cary~~
"I'm sorry that I spelt the word,
I hate to go above you,
Because"--the brown eyes lower fell--
"Because, you see, I love you!"
~~John Greenleaf Whittier~~
"Darling," he said, "I never meant
To hurt you;" and his eyes were wet.
"I would not hurt you for the world;
"Am I to blame if I forget?"
"Forgive my selfish tears! she cried
"Forgive! I knew that it was not
Because you meant to hurt me, sweet,--
I knew it was that you forgot!"
But all the same, deep in her heart
Rankled this thought, and it rankles yet,--
"When love is at its best, one loves
So much he can not forget."
~~Helen Hunt Jackson~~
If I had known in the morning,
How wearily all the day
The words unkind would trouble my mind
I had been more careful, darling,
Nor given you needless pain;
But--we vex our own with look and tone
We might never take back again.
For though in the quiet evening
You may give me the kiss of peace
Yet it well might be that never for me
The pain of the heart should cease!
How many go forth in the morning
Who never come home at night,
And hearts have been broken for harsh words spoken
That sorrow can ne'er set right.
~~Margaret E. Sangster~~
I Think true love is never blind,
But rather brings an added light;
An inner vision quick to find
The beauties hid from common sight.
No soul can ever clearly see
Another's highest, noblest part:
Save through the sweet philosophy
And loving wisdom of the heart
~~~Phoebe Cary~~
She is not fair to outward view
As many maidens be;
Her loveliness I never knew
Until she smiled on me;
O then I saw her eye was bright,
A well of love, a spring of light!
But now her looks are coy and cold,
To mine they ne'er reply;
And yet I cease not to behold
The love-light in her eye;
Her very frowns are fairer far
Then smiles of other maidens are
~~Hartley Coleridge~~
I'd give, Girl, (were I but a king),
Throne, scepter, empire,--everything;
My people, suppliant on the knee;
My ships that crowd the subject sea;
My crown,my baths of porphyry,
For onesweet look from thee !
Were I a god, I'd give--the air,
Earth, and the sea; the angels fair;
The skies; the golden worlds around;
The demons whom my laws have bound;
Chaos and its dark progeny;
All space and all eternity,
For one love-kiss from thee !
~~~Victor Hugo~~
O Lady, there be many things
That seem right fair, below, above:
But sure not one among them all
Is half so sweet as love
~~Oliver Wendell Holmes~~
