Bear up a little longer yet!" His mouth was black with blood and sweat-- And still, within his breast, he held His horse went down. He wandered on, At last he staggered, stumbled, fell, The end, the object of his task, Drank to her-more she could not ask. Ah, the Llano Estacado! That night in the Presidio, Beneath the torchlight's wavy glow, Lying, with face upturned and grim, On the Llano Estacado. Joaquin Miller [1841-1913] ENCHAINMENT I WENT to her who loveth me no more, And prayed her bear with me, if so she might; For I had found day after day too sore, And tears that would not cease night after night. Auld Robin Gray And so I prayed her, weeping, that she bore To soothe myself a little with her sight, Then she who loveth me no more, maybe Yea, so that I might call her mine again. 1009 Chained the fair wasted white of love's domain, Oh! the vain joy it is to see her lie Beside me once again; beyond release, Nor fetter for her lips, to make them cease Arthur O'Shaughnessy [1844-1881] AULD ROBIN GRAY WHEN the sheep are in the fauld, and the kye at hame, And a' the warld to rest are gane, The wacs o' my heart fa' in showers frac my c'e, While my gudeman lies sound by me. Young Jamie lo'ed me weel, and sought me for his bride; But saving a croun he had naething else beside: To make the croun a pund, young Jamie gaed to sea; And the croun and the pund were baith for me. He hadna been awa' a week but only twa, When my father brak his arm, and the kye was stown awa'; My mother she fell sick,-and my Jamie at the sea And auld Robin Gray came a-courtin' me. My father couldna work, and my mother couldna spin; I toiled day and night, but their bread I couldna win; Auld Rob maintained them baith, and wi' tears in his e'e Said, "Jennie, for their sakes, O, marry me!" My heart it said nay; I looked for Jamie back; His ship it was a wrack-Why didna Jamie dee? My father urged me sair: my mother didna speak; But she looked in my face till my heart was like to break: They gi'ed him my hand, though my heart was in the sea; Sae auld Robin Gray he was gudeman to me. I hadna been a wife a week but only four, O, sair, sair did we greet, and muckle did we say; I gang like a ghaist, and I carena to spin; Anne Barnard [1750-1825] LOST LIGHT My heart is chilled and my pulse is slow, I sit here dreaming them through and through, A Sigh The sweet, sweet days when our love was new, Blest or wretched, fettered or free, Ever and hopelessly. Oh, how often at day's decline I pushed from my window the curtaining vine, Flashed from your heart to mine. Once more the starlight is silvering all; The night bird warbles his madrigal, But summers will vanish and years will wane, My heart is heavy, my heart is old, I watch no longer your curtain's fold; The window is dark and the night is cold, And the story forever told. Elizabeth Akers [1832-1911] A SIGH It was nothing but a rose I gave her, Nothing but a rose Any wind might rob of half its savor, Any wind that blows. But, if it's parting more endears, Or All day I tell my rosary, My rosary of hours, Until an hour shall bring to me I tell my rosary of hours, And For O, my love's away; -a dream may bring him back to me Alfred Noyes [1880 WHEN SHE COMES HOME WHEN she comes home again! A thousand ways Of my glad welcome: I shall tremble-yes; I touched her girlish hand, nor dared upraise The room will sway a little, and a haze Her arms make for me; and the sobbing note I stay with kisses, ere the tearful face Again is hidden in the old embrace. James Whitcomb Riley [1852-1916] |