The tremble of my wings all o'er

snow

(For through each plume I felt the thrill)
Startled her, as she reached the shore
Of that small lake-her mirror still-
Above whose brink she stood, like
When rosy with a sunset glow.
Never shall I forget those eyes!
The shame, the innocent surprise
Of that bright face, when in the air
Uplooking, she beheld me there.

It seem'd as if each thought, and look,
And motion were that minute chain'd
Fast to the spot, such root she took,
And like a sunflower by a brook,
With face upturn'd-so still remain'd!

In pity to the wondering maid,

Though loth from such a vision turning, Downward I bent beneath the shade

Of my spread wings to hide the burning Of glances, which, I well could feel, For me, for her, too warmly shone;

But, ere I could again unsea!

My restless eyes, or even steal

One side-long look, the maid was gone;

Hid from me in the forest leaves,
Sudden as when, in all her charms

Of full-blown light, some cloud receives The Moon into his dusky arms.

'Tis not in words to tell the power, The despotism that, from that hour, Passion held o'er me-day and night.

I sought around each neighbouring spot, And, in the chase of this sweet light, My task, and heaven, and all forgot, All, but the one, sole, haunting dream Of her I saw in that bright stream.

Nor was it long, ere by her side

I found myself, whole happy days, Listening to words, whose music vied With our own Eden's seraph lays, When seraph lays are warm'd by love, But, wanting that, far, far above! And looking into eyes where, blue And beautiful, like skies seen through The sleeping wave, for me there shone..> A heaven, more worshipp'd than my own. Oh what, while I could hear and see Such words and looks was heaven to me? Though gross the air on earth I drew "Twas blessed, while she breath'd it too;

Though dark the flowers, though dim the sky, Love lent them light while she was nigh. Throughout creation I but knew

Two separate worlds-the one that small, Beloved, and consecrated spot

Where LEA was-the other, all

The dull, wide waste, where she was not.

But vain my suit, my madness vain ;
Though gladly, from her eyes to gain
One earthly look, one stray desire,
I would have torn the wings, that hung
Furl'd at my back, and o'er that Fire
Unnamed in heaven their fragments flung;
"Twas hopeless all-pure and unmov'd
She stood, as lilies in the light

Of the hot noon but look more white;
And though she lov'd me, deeply lov'd,
"Twas not as man, as mortal-no,
Nothing of earth was in that glow,
She lov'd me but as one, of race

Angelic, from that radiant place
She saw so oft in dreams-that Heaven,
To which her prayers at morn were sent,
And on whose light she gaz'd at even,

Wishing for wings that she might go
Out of this shadowy world below,

To that free, glorious element!

Well I remember by her side
Sitting at rosy even tide,

When,-turning to the star, whose head
Look'd out, as from a bridal bed,
At that mute blushing hour-she said,
"Oh! that it were my doom to be
"The Spirit of yon beauteous star,
"Dwelling up there in purity,

Alone, as all such bright things are; "My sole employ to pray and shine

"To light my censer at the sun, "And fling its fire towards the shrine "Of Him in heaven, the Eternal One !"

So innocent the maid, so free

From mortal taint in soul and frame, Whom 'twas my crime-my destinyTo love, aye, burn for, with a flame, To which earth's wildest fires are tame. Had you but seen her look, when first From my mad lips the' avowal burst; Not angry-no-the feeling had No touch of anger, but most sad

It was a sorrow, calm as deep,
A mournfulness that could not weep,
So fill'd the heart was to the brink,
So fix'd and frozen there-to think
That angel natures-even I,

Whose love she clung to, as the tie
Between her spirit and the sky---
Should fall thus headlong from the height
Of such pure glory into sin-

The sin, of all, most sure to blight
The sin, of all, that the soul's light

Is soonest lost, extinguish'd in!

That, though but frail and human, she
Should, like the half bird of the sea,
Try with her wing sublimer air,
While I, a creature born up there,

Should meet her, in my fall from light,
From heaven and peace, and turn her flight
Downward again with me to drink

Of the salt tide of sin, and sink!

That very night-my heart had grown.
Impatient of its inward burning;

The term, too, of my stay was flown,
And the bright Watchers near the throne,
Already, if a meteor shone

Between them and this nether zone,