Maryland, my Maryland, and other poems/Althee

by James Ryder Randall

ALTHEE

Could tongue define
In warbling line
The music of this heart of mine,
’Twould sing, today,
A roundelay,
For thee, ma belle Creole Althee!

But words are weak,
When words would speak,
The ripeness of thy satin cheek,
Or pearl that tips
With dewy sips
The arches of those blushing lips.

The floods of lace
That flirt and race
In eddying ripples ’round thy face,
Have framed, I ween,
In magic mien,
The daintiest image ever seen.

Ah, sweet Althee!
Around thee play
The plumed, and crystal tribes of May;
And in those eyes
Float, flash, and rise
Gay atmosphere of orient guise.

The eyes—the eyes!
The planet eyes
Fresh from their dreams of Paradise!
My spirit sees,
But never flees
Their sorcery of sorceries.

Truth, Grace, and Love
From worlds above—
Hints of the Pure and Holy Dove—
Divinely bright,
These gems of sight
Are throned upon their globes of light.

Thus heaven-beguiled,
Beloved child,
Have all the cherubs on thee smiled;
Let joys depart
Still, sweet, thou art
Voiced in the virgin’s sacred heart.

Madonna! fold
Her heart of gold
In thy dear arms, when it is cold;
Madonna! sing
This bird of Spring
To sleep beneath thy velvet wing!

Athwart my brain
A shadowy rain
Sobs forth this desolate refrain:
Thy star is sped,
Thy sunshine fled,
Thy dream is bosomed with the dead!

Ay! dim—dim—dim—
My senses swim
Down by the lordly river’s brim;
All pagan-eyed,
I thrust my pride
Out on the mad and stalwart tide.

And will it roll
To some fair goal,
Quaffing elixirs of the soul—
Or witheringly
Grope out to sea
And drift—but will it drift to thee?