SILENT DIALOGUE

With restless, questioning eyes I kept looking at you... From what unknown planet, from what distant, earthly continent, has Destiny guided me? With thee I would have stepped to the heights, And besieged the immortal altars of thy love with my compliments - But on thy invisible axis of feeling - I see now - I had no place to stay! The Eden-fire of thy kisses has long since burned another. You know: I have always stood by you,

even when false-smiling goddesses, professing to be thy friends, have passed on interchangeable interests, and yet only modestly rejoiced in thee and thy broken dreams: thy omission has broken and poisoned me.

More wicked was thy refusal - if thou didst call it that! - Thy heart: thou canst know it thyself, a necessity of life, not to be denied, not to be given up! Can the accusation of thy kisses be immortal proof, and proof that thou lovest me yet? - At least do not deceive thyself, when all is turned from itself, and is past!

You could only stammer your confession, but did you mean it? Thou didst have fun with thy deceivable buffoon, and when he was a useful surplus, thou didst give him his way! I have bowed my feelings to thee, and have only met with thy disgusting refusal!

For thy momentary forgiveness I have ever since claimed, And coveted - Thy forgiving, proud will would not suffer thee to be weak, - But I will be far more patient with thee Than thy wasted blunders! - If I had been with thee, my breast had been but a thundering throb; My exploded heart, now but a hollow, charred body-stump beating in my breast!