Etchings in Verse (Underhill)/Denise

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4666793Etchings in Verse — DeniseAndrew Findlay Underhill
DENISE.
GRAY eyes from which the light falls soft and fair;
Clear brows, and heavy mass of dead brown hair;
Lips red, and firm, and true; and cheeks whose glow
Shows faintly flushed; a soft, full throat, and rare
Smooth shoulders; and the bosom's wealth below,
Like sculptured marble with the life-hue there—
Are thine, Denise.

A mind to comprehend the good and great,
With honest tact, and power to create;
A noble nature, and a soul of truth—
Direct—but feminine in every trait;
The sunshine, and the passion-power of youth;
The thoughtfulness of woman's high estate—
Are thine, Denise.

*****

My heart, and all that ever can be mine;
My life, my hopes—whatever is divine
Within my nature; and whate'er demands
A higher something, and a loftier shrine—
Yea; and the love that waits till death, and stands
Unchanging where the gates of Heaven shine
Are thine, Denise.