The Dark Angel

DARK Angel, with thine aching lust
     To rid the world of penitence:
     Malicious Angel, who still dost
     My soul such subtile violence!

     Because of thee, no thought, no thing,
     Abides for me undesecrate:
     Dark Angel, ever on the wing,
     Who never reachest me too late!

     When music sounds, then changest thou
     Its silvery to a sultry fire:
     Nor will thine envious heart allow
     Delight untortured by desire.

     Through thee, the gracious Muses turn,
     To Furies, O mine Enemy!
     And all the things of beauty burn
     With flames of evil ecstasy.

     Because of thee, the land of dreams
     Becomes a gathering place of fears:
     Until tormented slumber seems
     One vehemence of useless tears.

     When sunlight glows upon the flowers,
     Or ripples down the dancing sea:
     Thou, with thy troop of passionate powers,
     Beleaguerest, bewilderest, me.

     Within the breath of autumn woods,
     Within the winter silences:
     Thy venomous spirit stirs and broods,
     O Master of impieties!

     The ardour of red flame is thine,
     And thine the steely soul of ice:
     Thou poisonest the fair design
     Of nature, with unfair device.

     Apples of ashes, golden bright;
     Waters of bitterness, how sweet!
     O banquet of a foul delight,
     Prepared by thee, dark Paraclete!

     Thou art the whisper in the gloom,
     The hinting tone, the haunting laugh:
     Thou art the adorner of my tomb,
     The minstrel of mine epitaph.

     I fight thee, in the Holy Name!
     Yet, what thou dost, is what God saith:
     Tempter! should I escape thy flame,
     Thou wilt have helped my soul from Death:

     The second Death, that never dies,
     That cannot die, when time is dead:
     Live Death, wherein the lost soul cries,
     Eternally uncomforted.

     Dark Angel, with thine aching lust!
     Of two defeats, of two despairs:
     Less dread, a change to drifting dust,
     Than thine eternity of cares.

     Do what thou wilt, thou shalt not so,
     Dark Angel! triumph over me:
     Lonely, unto the Lone I go;
     Divine, to the Divinity.