V

Over the bay as our boat went sailing
  Under the skies of Augustine,
Wan on the waters the mist lay veiling
  Under the skies of Augustine.—­
Was it the joy that begot the sorrow?—­
Joy that was filled with the dreams that borrow
Prescience sad of a far To-morrow,—­
There in the Now that was all too keen,
That shadowed the fate that might intervene? 
As over the bay our boat went sailing
  Under the skies of Augustine.

VI

Over the bay as our boat went sailing
  Under the skies of Augustine,
The marsh-hen cried and the tide was ailing
  Under the skies of Augustine.—­
And so we parted.  No vows were spoken. 
No faith was plighted that might be broken. 
But deep in our hearts each bore a token
Of life and of love and of all they mean,
Beautiful, thornless and ever green,
As over the bay our boat went sailing
  Under the skies of Augustine.

St. Augustine, Fla.

Words

I cannot tell what I would tell thee,
  What I would say, what thou shouldst hear: 
Words of the soul that should compell thee,
  Words of the heart to draw thee near.

For when thou smilest, thou, who fillest
  My life with joy, and I would speak,
’T is then my lips and tongue are stillest,
  Knowing all language is too weak.

Look in my eyes:  read there confession: 
  The truest love has least of art: 
Nor needs it words for its expression
  When soul speaks soul and heart speaks heart.

Reasons

I

Yea, why I love thee let my heart repeat: 
  I look upon thy face and then divine
  How men could die for beauty, such as thine,—­
          Deeming it sweet
To lay my life and manhood at thy feet,
  And for a word, a glance,
  Do deeds of old romance.

II

Yea, why I love thee let my heart unfold: 
  I look into thy heart and then I know
  The wondrous poetry of the long-ago,
          The Age of Gold,
That speaks strange music, that is old, so old,
  Yet young, as when ’t was born,
  With all the youth of morn.

III

Yea, why I love thee let my heart conclude: 
  I look into thy soul and realize
  The undiscovered meaning of the skies,—­
          That long have wooed
The world with far ideals that elude,—­
  Out of whose dreams, maybe,
  God shapes reality.

Evasion

Why do I love you, who have never given
  My heart encouragement or any cause? 
Is it because, as earth is held of heaven,
  Your soul holds mine by some mysterious laws? 
Perhaps, unseen of me, within your eyes
    The answer lies, the answer lies.