Friday, February 29, 2008

    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.
    Lionel Johnson DARK ANGEL

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