Sacred Heart.

Aphrodite 1902.. Briton Riviere

Sacred Heart.

It is written that God is a jealous God,

But would he envious be if I serenade thee?

For thou is given as one of his “brides”,

Yet would he deny us a secret covent of desire,

Better surely should he look down and smile,

For himself has ordained that man to woman be one,

And if I cannot sing my songs of love to you,

What measure of achievement be his deeds done,

What measure of compassion be his wisdom,

To deny one so lesser the simple joy of admiring you,

Let your soul be his, for so it is destined to be,

But when evening settles it debt, let thy heart belong to me,

Let Aphrodite direct instead these lovers’ desires,

So that when we come to the end of our time,

The innocence of intent, the purity of passion spent..

Such enduring joy of what was yours, what was mine,

Let this elation of heart’s desire, be lift’d to a level sublime.