POETRY
• A SOPHISTRY OF LOVE.
Fool. 1 Argumentative in love ; denying Flesh with a neat particular disquisition, " I love, I love not." Troubled when she comes, Who should by fable so rejoice and quicken, So talk, so play the child, he's heard a mile off.
Mark what a fool he shows. He'll sit and sigh, Reach out a hand and draw it back, look piteous, Laughably piteous, and laugh to look so.
" Take it I love," he'll say ; then pause, deliver
A sigh to shake a mountain, pucker his brow,
And train the whole artillery of woe.
" Take this for token—I with brooding thought Annul the difference of hours ; forget All intercourse and action ; reckon sums In pints and gallons ; watch blue-bellied insects Climbing a window ; start from a dream and cry ' Dear love, dear love.' Take it for truth I love you There's yet some hate between us, or some devil.
We keep reserve, as any country girl With a too civil stranger ; thrust and parry And long most bitterly to throw down arms.
They tell of happy lovers, Aucassin, Philemon, or Cophetua : they lie.
Such men are poor lewd spirits, their big passions Are coarse ; by flattery of hands or words They lull themselves asleep—and that's no love.
For love's a combat in the wilderness.
No two communicate in love. No two But curse each other hotly and go clean mad."
No wonder at this wooing she grows vague, Large-eyed, a little tearful. He, distracted By this pale grief, himself comes near to crying.
Somehow the world's amiss. They grope in phrases To cure the fault, fall silent soon, and part.
ALAN Powys..
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