I sought Him in the arms of common men,

Yet, in the dearest embrace

—Even then I lost their word and touch;

Beyond my ken

Loomed Him I sought, but found Him not!

I sought Him

In the tales of noble lore of knights

Who for a woman —bravely bore their swords

And died for her ...whose glove they wore.

In books I sought and found Him not!

I harried Him in dreams where His veiled face

Drew me forever on from place to place

As in an errie moonlit half-god's race

Till strength was done—

Always He won.

I sought Him through the lure of magic rite

Haunting the dawn to pluck Him from the light,

And breathed my witching calls across the night,

Calls only heard by drowsy bird!

I sought Him through the years

And hoped that Time would waft Him

From the arms of Space, to mine

Before my life rang its last tender chime—

But time stalked on aloof;

And on and on!

At length I turned me in my universe

—Lonely and driven—

As if blighting curse had marked me;

Strove —forgetting,

Immersing the heart of me in Unreality.

That way lay Hell!

I glimpsed its yawning door

That on all slothful souls clangs evermore!

Appalled, I sped to Earth's remotest shore

Trembling and meek —I yet would seek!

I would seek on! But where?

Not one far place

But knew me and my quest.

I braved all Space

Pleading for one long look upon His face

Whose eyes would tell

He loved me well!

Out of the silence breathed a voice like fire

That sweeps along a soughing forest-lyre;

"I come! You draw Me down

By your desire.

My own, I come to take you home!"

All glorious He stood, like sudden flame

That leaps from nothingness

—He came.

From unseen world

...That has no form nor name

Some hidden place

In secret Space—

His cool grey garments swirled about my head

His mighty arm above me overspread

And at His touch all smallness in me fled;

It was but meet

I clasped His feet!

"Arise, my Spouse! Know

...All that you can love —has fed Me;

And I drew your thoughts above;

Your prayers ...impassioned with my own

And wove;

I make you free ...as you freed me."

"For I am your pure vision

Chiseled clean from the eternal matrix;

All that you have seen of Beauty,

In your inmost heart—demeane,

All ecstasy is part of Me!"

He drew me close;

We soared with heart to heart

Far above Earth

And disillusions —smart and pain and longing; Nevermore to part,

For I am His —through all of Time,

And He ...is mine!