I feel the Spring far off, far off,
   The faint far scent of bud and leaf—
Oh how can Spring take heart to come
   To a world in grief,
      Deep grief?

The sun turns north, the days grow long,
   Later the evening star grows bright—
How can the daylight linger on
   For men to fight,
      Still fight?

The grass is waking in the ground,
   Soon it will rise and blow in waves—
How can it have the heart to sway
   Over the graves,
      New graves?

Under the boughs where lovers walked
   The apple-blooms will shed their breath—
But what of all the lovers now
   Parted by death,
      Gray Death?

I gave my first love laughter,
I gave my second tears,
I gave my third love silence
Through all the years.

My first love gave me singing,
My second eyes to see,
But oh, it was my third love
Who gave my soul to me.

When beauty grows too great to bear
How shall I ease me of its ache,
For beauty more than bitterness
Makes the heart break.

Now while I watch the dreaming sea
With isles like flowers against her breast,
Only one voice in all the world
Could give me rest.

We stood in the shrill electric light,
   Dumb and sick in the whirling din
We who had all of love to say
   And a single second to say it in.

“Good-by!” “Good-by!”—you turned to go,
   I felt the train’s slow heavy start,
You thought to see me cry, but oh
   My tears were hidden in my heart.

I hoped that he would love me,
And he has kissed my mouth,
But I am like a stricken bird
That cannot reach the south.

For tho’ I know he loves me,
To-night my heart is sad;
His kiss was not so wonderful
As all the dreams I had.

Your eyes drink of me,
Love makes them shine,
Your eyes that lean
So close to mine.

We have long been lovers,
We know the range
Of each other’s moods
And how they change;

But when we look
At each other so
Then we feel
How little we know;

The spirit eludes us,
Timid and free —
Can I ever know you
Or you know me?