THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES Destiny and Desire Destiny and Desire Poems Passionate and Perverse By Mary/and Watson CASINO PUBLISHING COMPANY 116 WEST THIRTY-NINTH STREET, NEW YORK 1908 Copyright. 1908. by Caiino Publishing Company. N<w York PS TRYST I AM waiting here for you. _ Every drop of blood 1 hat pulses in my heart Is a flaming torch to light your way Lover Lad, with your Irish eyes, How well I know just what you ll do. Still I am waiting here for you. TODAY OMORROW 7 And Lave you the patience then to wait ? God ! my lips cry for the kisses that are mine, And not tomorrow do I want them, hut today. For who knows if tomorrow s sun shall shine Or \vhere we two shall he who lived today ? I want to watch the last sun die, satisfied. And never know the torture of that cry, "Oh God ! I wasted yesterday and missed my fate ! PROMISE ME DEAR, you promise me with truth. Like a burning pure white flame. That your life shall be mine As long as love is wortby of its name. But, dear, life is not always sunshine. The fire of love fades on the primrose way. And hearts, though meaning to he faithful. Are fated to grow tired of tne play. You promise to guard me from life s sorrows, Xo shield me from tne nours of sad regret ; But, dearest, God alone holds that power, Though your love will help me to forget. Do not promise me the things that are heyond you. For humanity at best is sadly frail. But promise me to share the heights we can reach And to share compassion for each otber if we fail. 11 IMMORTAL COLD blows the wind of chilling doubt And fans the dying light that was my love Into a blaze of angry flame. An, God, why, if Love may die, Should Jealousy and Doubt forever live, To keep a -wretched tryst within my heart At the mention of a faithless -woman s name ? 13 MOON SONG A WOMAN rests within my arms, Her eyes heavy-lidded as from languorous sleep, Her red lips pulsing -warm, Tremulous her voice, her kisses sweet. opal tints the moon flings down A shimmering garment thin as air That falls across the splendor of her form And twines its jewels in her misty hair. Her heart, the home of Passion s god, A palpitating mystery of thrills, Beats close against my breast Its every throh an answer to my will. The warm red hlood that gleams Through the naked heauty, neath its veil of gold, Tells the wondrous secret of her dreams \Vhich end in savage love The craving of my soul. 15 LOVE S METAMORPHOSIS IF I could walk down This -worn old patn witli you, I tmnk its every turning would seem new To me and yet I know it so ty heart, Tnat every pebble seems a part Or some dear memory. 17 HONOLULU r OCKED in the arms of the ocean, * Lulled by its passionate song, Kissed by the brazen sun, \Vooed by tbe truant moon. Flirting witb eacb like a light-o -love. You radiant warm Quadroon ! Fire and night in your beauty, Flowers clasped to your breast. Flaunting your charms with wanton grace Xo sailor lover or soldier rover, Forgetting in turn eacb mad caress. Though your tears may come in a golden shower At the faithless love of the clay s gay noon. You are faithless yourself. Little Isle in the ocean Gay little, sad Quadroon. 19 LOVE S BLINDNESS I" O VE came to ber J-^ Like a wondrous sbadowed wraitb of spring And wrapped tne world in a mantle Of trembling delights. And tne days might come And tne nights each go For Christ! she loved him so That nothing mattered but the crimson flame And all the world grew dim. High above her Heaven and her God, She placed her love for him, And yet he never knew Love s name. For the little uncontented thing he called his soul \Vas just too small to know That a -woman s heart might break for mm Yet Cbnst! She loved bim so. 21 DISCONTENT WHY cannot I look mutely into the coming years And still the insistent longing to he free. Forget there are path-ways over dim, far hills. And ships a-sailing over new, strange seas ? 23 THIS QUESTION I FLING UP TO YOU IF, as they say, You hold the world In the hollow of Your mighty hand. And each life that gleams there for a while \Vas fashioned and fated at Your own command. Then do I come to You not in prayer But only as a weary -woman may. And this question I fling up to You, \Vhy did You put my soul upon this path If it was fate that I should lose my way ? How could You never lift a staying hand Or still the lilt of my heart s glad song ; If You placed this passion in my storm-swept soul Then, God, why not help me hear the wrong ? 25 CONSENT COME with me into the mystic night. The sun is lost across the great divide. The jeweled splendor of a moon-lit shrine Shall he the wondrous ending of our flight. And you shall tenderly he taught The touch that waked your soul to fire \Vas hut the answer to your breathless sigh ; My passion and my strength, But the fulfillment of your sweet desire. The crimson passion of your -warm, moist lips. The promise in your darkening eyes, Have won for me a lingering consent And hetrayed the secret that your words denied. Ah, dear, the harriers are gone That kept our souls from heing one. Turn your face and meet the storm Of my love with willing eyes. (Continued on page 29) 27 CONSENT (Continued) Let me see and feel each thrill Xhat rushes from your heart, Lingers on your lips, trembles through your arms And guides your straying finger tips In each wanton passionate caress. Sweet woman, yielding with such Glad abandon to my eager touch. This heaven -we have gained. This ecstasy of mingled love and throbbing pain, \Vas born in your fair breast The hour you chose your destiny And answered fate with passion s willing "yes." 29 MAN S LOVE YOU gather a rose And feel a queer, glad thrill, Because it s yours to keep Or, better still. You may wear it on your heart For passion s one sweet hour. Ana -when its charm is gone, \Vhy, twas only just a flower. 31 YOU MEN smile in my dark eyes, Some praise the sun-kissed bloom upon my face. Otters marvel at the beauty of my form. Yet in my heart they nave no place For to you I owe it all. You brought my beauty with tte summer Jays, ^kVhen you lingered on tbis path with me ; X hen was born the crimson flush men praise. And my eyes darkened into pools From passion s deepest sea. Every sensuous curve that lures All this gift of witchery, Every sudden lilt of thrilling song Came to me in this summer time of mystery ! 33 I WILL NOT FORGET TNREST haunts my sorrowing heart, ^^ A chill phantom wrapped in a mantle of despair. That stalks across the threshold where love had life. And wakes the hallowed memories sleeping there. The vain night goes its weary way. The day comes crimson-crowned after the gloom. And yet my anguished soul nor sleeps nor wakes At the touch of cool wet dew or sun within the room. Just a lethargy of wraith-like hours And little crying sobs of piteous regret That keep your dead love burning like a flame To scorch my soul and shame it to forget! 35 MAY BE A DIM REGRET JUST a moment of rapture, A fleeting, sensuous thrill, A aoh and a tit of laughter Your strength and passionate will. The throhhing heat of my heart And, mayhe, a dim regret. That -we danced the wildest measure Of love s sweet minuet. 37 INNOCENCE T AUGHING lass, looking into * * the soul of me, ^A^itn innocent serenity, Does no understanding bring surmise, Or no quest of love surprise You into deep solemnity ? 39 FAITHLESS WOMAN I LOVE GIVE me a rope of your night-black hair To coil in my empty hands ; 1 11 weave a chain Or its wondrous length To strangle the light from your lustrous eyes, \Voman I love with all my strength. Treacherous woman whom I despise. 41 A WOMAN S WAY HER. kisses lingered on the dear lips of a lad, Her turning mouth kindled all the sleeping fire. That -waited tut tne touch of passion s flame To scorch his soul with anguish-mad desire. She watched, with half-slumhering eyes, The torture of her powers at their play; Then gave herself with all her passionate soul And that is a woman s way. 43 MEMORIES I HAVE lost myself in a dream That holds your last caress, Like the breath of a flower s perfume After the flower is dead. The tones of your voice in my heart Are vihrations of deepest love. Like the thrill in the strings of a harp \Vhen a master hand touches a chord. The kiss that you left on my lips Is a flame like an altar light That may dim in the noon s white glare, But scorches the wings of thought In the hush of the silent night. Your love is a golden loom That has spun a web of dreams To cover the cold hare room e memory sits and -weaves. 45 SONG E-T me look deep in your sea blue eyes : Let me -warm your reel lips \VitK tKc passion of mine. Kiss you and crush you, O, maiden fair! My soul aflame \vitn its mad desire Come, take wnat is yours. You kindled tne fire ! 47 DEFIANCE OH God ! why should I grope my weary way Afraid to firmly place my feet. For fear of stepping on some creed of Thine, Or breaking some command I should obey? And God, how couldst Thou ]udge me If I should tread upon them both. Should cast Thy word off and be free To walk erect upon the path I chose ? For it was Thou who made me as I am And left me with Temptation hand in hand. 49 DIVORCED JUST one last tour of silent gray Between the -wordless night And the fading sun. The clouds robed in a vestment Like a still and aged nun That comes to pray \Vhen tne day is done, i The hour you used to come at candle light And watch a tired child at play Then kiss its tiny hands and one by one Its sort white garments lay, Upon a little, worn, red chair vVhile baby lips caressed Or murmured fragments of a sleepy prayer. (Continued on page 53) 51 DIVORCED (Continued) You are so far away The apace between us two May border on eternity. Your quick glad step Never comes to -wake the lethargy Of dumb submissive pain That lives like a coward in my heart Afraid to show its grief Or call your name. The hours crowd each other Into bitter years And yet there comes back day by day The memory of an agonized "good bye. \Ve went our unforgiving -ways Our eyes scorched with unshed tears, Our lips a lie. 53 AFTER OMAR OTHOU wno woman didst devise And gavest ner all tne passions of a man. How canst Tnou in Tny soul despise Her lor the weakness Tnou didst plan ? 55 ONE WOMAN S PRAYER NO\V, Christ, I am satisfied ; Every law my nature knows is still. Every cry my heart Las known so long Is sleeping in this hour I nave crossed Your will. Judge me deeply and place upon my soul A letter red as scarlet flame. I ask no mercy at the hand of God ; I walk light-hearted, radiant in my shame. Do not turn your eyes gently away. Trying to forgive this one breathless night. Instead, listen to my heart s ecstasy of thanks That my soul was horn to know these God-given deep delights. 57 TOO LATE TONG ago wnen life -was new -L/ And tne "little-girl-look" Still lingered in my eyes WLy did you not come to me Like tne Knight in olden books And make me yours Before tne world nad made me wise? 59 SUCCESS SUMMER breezes fanned his cradle (Little fair-haired baby boy) Fanned him gently while they sang him Joyous, winsome lullabies. And the lingering breath of Genius Kissed tne baby s sleeping eyes. \Vhen nis -wondering eyes awakened Conscious of tne sweet caress, He followed its elusive whisper Over trails of dim, far Life Down tne valley of deepest Sorrow Around tne turnings of sweet Delight. So Genius beckoned nim to Manhood, Gave him little, maddening smiles Threw him kisses along tne pathway. And all a-thrill to ner mating call. He tore tne barriers down between them And, clasped to bis heart Sbe gave bim all. 61 A LITTLE FRIENDSHIP SONG MY soul is all a-listen For tlie littlest word you say, My eyes are all a-glisten \Vnen you smile For your friendship is a gladsome thing. That dearly came my way, After such a very long and lonesome while! 63 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY Los Angeles This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. Form L9-42m-8, 49(B5573)444 THE LIBRARY VWVER8ITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY A 001 247 674 3 PS 3545 W336d