Early Love

Who says I wrong thee, my half-opened rose?

Little he knows of thee or me, or love.–

I am so tender of thy fragile youth,

Yea, in my hours of wildest ecstasy,

Keeping close-bitted each careering sense.

Only I give mine eyes unmeasured law

To feed them where they will, and _their_ delight

Was curbed at first, until thy tender shame

Died in the bearing of thy first born joy.

I am not cruel, my half-opened rose,

Though in the sunshine of my own desire

I have uncurled thy petals to the light

And fed the tendrils of thy dawning sense

With delicate caresses, till they leave

Thee tremulous with the newness of thy joy,

Sharing thy lover’s fire with innocent flame.

Others will wrong thee, that I well foresee,

Being a man, knowing my fellow men,

And they who, knowing, would blame my love of thee

Contentedly will see thy beauty given,

When the world judges thou art ripe to wed,–

To the rough rites of marriage, to the pain

And grievous weariness of child-getting,–

This shall be right and licit in their eyes–

But it would break my heart, were I alive.

Yea, this will be; many will doubtless share

The rose whose bud has been my one delight,

And I shall not be there to shield my flower.

Yet, I have taught thee of the ways of men,

Much I have learnt in cities and in courts,

Winnowed to suit thy tender brain,–is thine,

Thus Life shall find thee, not all unprepared

To face its callous, subtle cruelties.

Still,–it will profit little; I discern

Thou art of those whose love will prove their curse,

–Thou sayest thou lovest me, to thy delight?

Nay, little one, it is not love as yet.

Dear as thou art, and lovely, thou canst not love,

Thy later loves shall show the truth of this.

Ay, by some subtle signs I know full well

That thou art capable of that great love

Whose glory has the light of unknown heavens,

And makes hot Hell for those who harbour it.

Naught I can say could save thee from thyself,

Ah, were I half my age! Yet even that,

Had been too old for thy sweet thirteenth year.

Still, thou art happy now, and glad thine eyes,

When, as the lilac evening gains the sky,

I lay thee, ‘twixt thine own soft hair and me,

Kissing thy senses into soft delight.

Ruffling the petals of my half-closed rose

With tender touches, and perpetual care

That no wild moment of mine own delight

Deep in the flower’s heart,–should set the fruit.

Ah, in the days to come, it well may be,

When thou shalt see thy beauty stained and torn

By the harsh sequel of some future love,

Thy thoughts shall stray to thy first lover’s grave,

And thou shalt murmur, “Ay, but that was love.

They were most wrong who said he did me wrong.

Only I was too young to understand.”

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Poems in English 

• Groupie poem – Ysabelle Moriarty poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File
• Glacier poem – Yuyutsu Sharma poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File
• Ghouls parade poem – Brako Attafua poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File
• Ghouls’ Parade poem – Brako Attafua poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File
• Gazel poem – Yahya Kemal Beyatli poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File
• Fantasy poem – Ysabelle Moriarty poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File
• Drying Clothes poem – Yang Wan-Li poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File
• Destiny poem – Zubair Ahmad Parray poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File
• Bloodstains from Iraq poem – Yuyutsu Sharma poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File
• Autumn poem – Ysabelle Moriarty poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File
• Adieu poem – Yuvraj Johri poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File
• About Troy poem – Zbigniew Herbert poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File
• A Faery’s Lament poem – Ysabelle Moriarty poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File
• A Visit to Yu’s Cave poem – Yang Wan-Li poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File
• A Knocker poem – Zbigniew Herbert poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File
• A Ballad That We Do Not Perish poem – Zbigniew Herbert poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File
• One Night, The Fukien Robbers poem – Yang Wan-Li poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File
• O My Lord, Your Dwelling Places Are Lovely poem – Yehudah ha-Levi poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File
• Not Speaking Of The Way poem – Yosano Akiko poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File
• My Sweet Lad You Have Not Been Lost poem – Yiannis Ritsos poems | Poetry Monster by Anglo File

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