The Project Gutenberg EBook of Silverpoints, by John Gray

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Title: Silverpoints

Author: John Gray

Release Date: April 24, 2007 [EBook #21211]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SILVERPOINTS ***

Produced by Ruth Hart ruthhart@twilightoracle.com

Transcriber's note: In the original text all the verse titles and
dedications are in regular type, while all the stanzas are italicized.
I have not indicated these different styles in this online text.

SILVERPOINTS

BY

JOHN GRAY

LONDON M.DCCC.XC.III
ELKIN MATHEWS AND
JOHN LANE. AT THE
SIGN OF THE BODLEY
HEAD IN VIGO STREET

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

. . . EN COMPOSANT DES ACROSTICHES INDOLENTS
P.V.

LES DEMOISELLES DE SAUVE

TO S. A. S. ALICE, PRINCESSE DE MONACO

Beautiful ladies through the orchard pass;
Bend under crutched-up branches, forked and low;
Trailing their samet palls o'er dew-drenched grass.

Pale blossoms, looking on proud Jacqueline,
Blush to the colour of her finger tips,
And rosy knuckles, laced with yellow lace.

High-crested Berthe discerns, with slant, clinched eyes,
Amid the leaves pink faces of the skies;
She locks her plaintive hands Sainte-Margot-wise.

Ysabeau follows last, with languorous pace;
Presses, voluptuous, to her bursting lips.
With backward stoop, a bunch of eglantine.

Courtly ladies through the orchard pass;
Bow low, as in lords' halls; and springtime grass
Tangles a snare to catch the tapering toe.

HEART'S DEMESNE

TO PAUL VERLAINE

Listen, bright lady, thy deep Pansie eyes
Made never answer when my eyes did pray,
Than with those quaintest looks of blank surprise.

But my love longing has devised a way
To mock thy living image, from thy hair
To thy rose toes and keep thee by alway.

My garden's face is oh! so maidly fair,
With limbs all tapering and with hues all fresh;
Thine are the beauties all that flourish there.

Amaranth, fadeless, tells me of thy flesh.
Briar rose knows thy cheek, the Pink thy pout.
Bunched kisses dangle from the Woodbine mesh.

I love to loll, when Daisy stars peep out,
And hear the music of my garden dell,
Hollyhock's