Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
My Rose (Author: Patrick Augustine Sheehan)
A June Song
p.426
- O Rose! my Rose! O passionate heart of the Rose!
Why am I tempted to crush thee, O Rose surpassingly sweet?
Thy breath is of Sharon's vales, thy petals dreamily close.
With the blush of a child when she bows in love at her Father's feet.
And thy beauty leads me afar, O Rose! pale, perfumed Rose!
To lands where the Sungod rules, and smites with a breath of desire
The cheeks of maidens — the flowers, that lean for a moment's repose
On the lap of the leaves that flash, but drink not the flame of his fire.
And, oh! for the languor of peace, my Rose! my beautiful Rose!
For a fretless, passionless heart, and the shade of a feathered palm;
- For the cool, dim aisles where ever a zephyr of Eden blows;
And the silvery bells of the fountain break on the convent calm.
But what dost thou here, my Rose, my pale and languishing Rose?
Thy petals are soiled with slime from these alchemists' forges of ours;
And shrunk with the shrieks that arise from the fierce and passionate throes
Of men and machines that in darkness beat out the desolate hours.
And thus am I tempted to crush thee, O Rose, my beautiful Rose!
Thou art here but an exiled waif; I will kill thee, and thou shalt go
To thy home; 'tis a crime, but who will blame, if for thee I choose
For the shrieks, the songs of the birds; for the slime, white vases of snow.