NEW YEAR’S EVE

The Database of Ornament

            WE heard the bells of midnight burying the year.
                        Then the night poured its silent waters over us.
                         And then, in the vague darkness, faint and tremulous,
                  Time paused ; then the night filled with sound ; morning
                                was here.
                  Time paused ; our hearts were silent ; only your eyes burned
           Out of the night as though lit to consume my heart.
           The insane anger of love seized and became a part
    Of your incarnate spirit ; and your spirit yearned
    In such an agonizing ecstasy of desire
           Unto my spirit waiting to be lost in you,
           Spirit to spirit was fused in living flame ; and neither knew,
    In that transfiguring ardency of perfect fire,
    Body from body, spirit from spirit, life from death.
           Only we knew, as flaming silence wrapt the past,
           We had escaped the shadowy labyrinth at last ;
    Only we knew, as brooding silence, like the breath
    Of the overshadowing wings of the creating Dove,
           Descended on our hearts, and filled our hearts with peace.
           Love, born to be immortal, until all time cease,
    Was born of us anew, to be immortal love.

                                                                                ARTHUR SYMONS.