I AM like one that for long days had sate¹,

With seaward eyes set keen against the gale²,

On some lone³ foreland, watching sail by sail,

The portbound ships for one ship that was late;

And sail by sail, his heart burned up with joy,

And cruelly was quenched⁴, until at last

One ship, the looked-for pennant⁵ at its mast,

Bore gaily⁶, and dropt safely past the buoy⁷;

And lo! the loved one was not there — was dead.

Then would he watch no more; no more the sea

With myriad⁸ vessels⁹, sail by sail, perplex

His eyes and mock his longing¹⁰. Weary head,

Take now thy rest; eyes, close; for no more me

Shall hopes untried elate, or ruined vex¹¹.

For thus on love I waited; thus for love

Strained all my senses eagerly and long;

Thus for her coming ever trimmed my song;

Till in the far skies coloured as a dove,

A bird gold-coloured flickered¹² far and fled

Over the pathless waterwaste for me;

And with spread hands I watched the bright bird flee

And waited, till before me she dropped dead.

O golden bird in these dove-coloured skies

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