Love (III)
Love bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lacked anything.
“A guest,” I answered “worthy to be here”;
Love said “You shall be he.”
“I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,
I cannot look on Thee.”
Love took my hand, and smiling did reply
“Who made the eyes but I?”
“Truth, Lord; but I have marred them: let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.”
“And know you not,” says Love “who bore the blame?”
“My dear, then I will serve.”
“You must sit down,” says Love “and taste my meat.”
So I did sit and eat.
Thank you for bringing poetry back into my life Peter. There are so many great poems about romantic love which can be read as though they speak of the love of man (or woman!) for the Beloved but this one, addressing the subject explicitly, was a wonderful way to start the day.
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I’m glad this poem resonated with you, Tessa. For me, George Herbert is one of those rare religious poets who combines simplicity and depth in a way that bridges the gap we all too often feel between the spiritual and the human.
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