The Poet's Heart

'Tis so much joy! 'T is so much joy!
If I should fail, what poverty!
And yet, as poor as I
Have ventured all upon a throw;
Have gained! Yes! Hesitated so
This side the victory!

Life is but life, and death but death!
Bliss is but bliss, and breath but breath!
And if, indeed, I fail,
At least to know the worst is sweet.
Defeat means nothing but defeat,
No drearier can prevail!

And if I gain, - oh, gun at sea,
Oh, bells that in the steeples be,
At first repeat it slow!
For heaven is a different thing
Conjectured. and waked sudden in,
And might o'erwhelm me so!

Forever at his side to walk
The smaller of the two,
Brain of his brain,
Blood of his blood,
Two lives, one Being, now.

Forever of his fate to taste,
If grief the largest part,
If joy, to put my piece away
For that belovéd heart.

All life to know each other—
Whom we can never learn,
And by and by a change
Called "Heaven"—

Rapt neighborhood of men
Just finding out what
Puzzled us
Without the lexicon!

What would I give to see
His face?
I'd give—I'd give my life
Of course,
But that is not enough!
Stop just a minute, let
Me think—
I'd give my biggest bobolink!
That makes two—him and life.
You know who June is?
I'd give her,
Roses a day from Zanzibar,
And lily tubes, like wells;
Bees by the furlong,
Straits of blue
Navies of butterflies sailed through,
And dappled cowslip dells.
Then I have "shares" in
Primrose "banks,"
Daffodil "dowries," spicy "stocks,"
Dominions broad as dew,
Bags of doubloons, adventurous
Bees
Brought me from firmamental seas,
And purple from Peru.
Now, have I bought it,
Shylock? Say!
Sign me the bond!
I vow to pay
To him who pledges this—
One hour of her sov'reign's
Face!
Ecstatic contract!
Niggard grace!
My kingdom's worth of bliss!

The Moon is distant from the Sea —
And yet, with Amber Hands —
She leads Him — docile as a Boy —
Along appointed Sands —

He never misses a Degree —
Obedient to Her Eye
He comes just so far — toward the Town —
Just so far — goes away —

Oh, Signor, Thine, the Amber Hand —
And mine — the distant Sea —
Obedient to the least command
Thine eye impose on me — 

I held a jewel in my fingers
And went to sleep.
The day was warm, and winds were prosy;
I said: "'T will keep."

I woke and chid my honest fingers, -
The gem was gone;
And now an amethyst remembrance
Is all I own.