Poems (Van Rensselaer)/A Song for Twilight
For works with similar titles, see A Song for Twilight.
A SONG FOR TWILIGHT
As sweet as purple dusk, as fairAs morning shaking out her clouds of sunny hair, So sweet, so fair, art thou. Ah, no—not now. I had forgotten—no, not now!
This was thy likeness in the daysWhen all the world seemed singing songs that were thy praise. Thy heart was sweet and soft, Thy face how oft I thought the dawning light—how oft!
Now, should another lover ask,Thy heart but as a stone, thy face but as a mask, I needs must paint, and say, Ah, not to-day, Ah, ask no more, no more, to-day!
Only when now and then I dreamA moment (and forget), thy heart, thy glances, seem So fair and sweet once more That as before I love thee, love thee—as before!