Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition

Quia Multum Amavi (Author: Oscar Wilde)

p.775

1. 1] Dear Heart, I think the young impassioned priest
   2] When first he takes from out the hidden shrine
   3] His god imprisoned in the Eucharist,
   4] And eats the bread, and drinks the dreadful wine,
2. 5] Feels not such awful wonder as I felt
   6] When first my smitten eyes beat full on thee,
   7] And all night long before thy feet I knelt
   8] Till thou wert wearied of Idolatry.
3. 9] Ah! hadst thou liked me less and loved me more,
   10] Through all those summer days of joy and rain,
   11] I had not now been sorrow's heritor,
   12] Or stood a lackey in the House of Pain.
4. 13] Yet, though remorse, youth's white-faced seneschal
   14] Tread on my heels with all his retinue,
   15] I am most glad I loved thee—think of all
   16] The suns that go to make one speedwell blue!