Poems (Welby)/The Young Lovers

by Amelia Welby

THE YOUNG LOVERS.

She was a witching creature, o'er whose head
 Scarce eighteen summers on bright wings had flown,
Into whose spirit poetry had shed
 Her sweetest odors, breathed fresh from her own;
Pure modesty around her light form spread
 Her spotless drapery, and, like a zone,
Beauty encircled her, for her wild glances
Spell-bound all hearts in sweet bewildering trances.

Her beauty was of a mysterious kind,
 Baffling the pencil, that its charms would trace,
For the rich depths of her illumined mind
 Such flitting gleams gave to her love-toned face,
That the spell-taken eye could ever find
 Some charm unseen before; a willowy grace
Played in the movements of her form, just moulded
Into soft roundness, like a rose unfolded.

Her step was lighter than the wanton breeze,
 That breathes its love-sighs to the dreamy hours,
And graceful as light vapors o'er the seas,
 Melting away in soft and dewy showers,
While, with a simple grace and natural ease,
 She half reclined upon a bed of flowers,
And o'er her shoulder, rainbow like, there bended
A youth, whose sighs with her warm breathings blended,

He was a being e'en more glorious still;
 The seal of genius on his brow was seen,
With thoughts bright as the dews that flowers distil,
 When leaves dance in the starlight fresh and green;
His was a voice rich as a harp's deep thrill,
 A large dark eagle-eye, and noble mien,
Yet with a heart so tuned to softest measures,
His very face beamed forth bewildering pleasures.

As o'er her drooping form he softly bent,
 The pressure of his lip was on her brow,
While to her cheek the warm blood came and went,
 Varying each moment with her rich thoughts' flow,
For each, within her heaving bosom pent,
 Seemed struggling on her up-turned face to glow,
While tell-tale dimples, in her cheeks appearing,
Told that a sweet love-thought her heart was stirring.

For closely round that young and happy pair
 Passion had wove her softest, sweetest ties,
While, like two spirits fresh from heaven, there
 They sat beneath their own blue native skies,
He playing with some stray-tress of her hair
 And gazing mutely in her melting eyes,
While from their glowing glances both were drinking
The passionate love that in their hearts was sinking.