THE QUEST OF LOVE.
Joaquin Miller
he quest of love? Tis the quest of troubles; - Tis the wind through the woods of the Oregon.
- Sit down, sit down, for the world goes on
- Precisely the same; and the rainbow bubbles
- Of love, they gather, or break, or blow,
- Whether you bother your brain or no;
- And for all your troubles and all your tears,
- Twere just the same in a hundred years.
- By the populous land, or the lonesome sea,
- Lo! these were the gifts of the gods to men,
- Three miserable gifts, and only three:
- To love, to forget, and to die-and then?
- To love in peril, and bitter-sweet pain,
- And then, forgotten, lie down and die:
- One moment of sun, whole seasons of rain,
- Then night is roll'd to the door of the sky.
- To love? To sit at her feet and to weep;
- To climb to her face, hide your face in her hair;
- To nestle you there like a babe in its sleep,
- And, too, like a babe, to believe it stings there!
- To love! Tis to suffer, "Lie close to my breast,
- Like a fair ship in haven, O darling!" I cried.
- "Your round arms outreaching to heaven for rest
- Make signal to death." Death came, and love died.
- To forget? To forget, mount horse and clutch sword;
- Take ship and make sail to the ice-prison'd seas,
- Write books and preach lies; range lands; or go hoard
- A grave full of gold, and buy wines and drink lees:
- Then die; and die cursing, and call it a prayer!
- Is earth but a top—a boy-god's delight,
- To be spun for his pleasure, while man's despair
- Breaks out like a wail of the damn'd through the night ?
- Sit down in the darkness and weep with me
- On the edge of the world. Lo, love lies dead!
- And the earth and the sky, and the sky and the sea,
- Seem shutting together as a book that is read.
- Yet what have we learn'd? We laugh'd with delight
- In the morning at school, and kept toying with all
- Time's silly playthings. Now, wearied ere night,
- We must cry for dark-mother, her cradle the pall.
- 'Twere better blow trumpets gainst love, keep away
- That traitorous urchin with fire or shower,
- Than have him come near you for one little hour.
- Take physic, consult with your doctor, as you
- Would fight a contagion; carry all through
- The populous day some drug that smells loud,
- As you pass on your way, or make way through the crowd.
- Talk war, or carouse; only keep off the day
- Of his coming, with every hard means in your way.
- Blow smoke in the eyes of the world, and laugh
- With the broad-chested men, as you loaf at your inn,
- As you crowd to your inn from your saddle and quaff
- Red wine from a horn; while your dogs at your feet,
- Your slim spotted dogs, like the fawn, and as fleet,
- Crouch patiently by and look up at your face,
- As they wait for the call of the horn to the chase;
- For you shall not suffer, and you shall not sin,
- Until peace goes out just as love comes in.
- Love horses and hounds, meet many good men
- Yea, men are most proper, and keep you from care.
- There is strength in a horse. There is pride in his will;
- It is sweet to look back as you climb the steep hill.
- There is room. You have movement of limb; you have air,
- Have the smell of the wood, of the grasses; and then
- What comfort to rest, as you lie thrown full length
- All night and alone, with your fists full of strength!
- Go away, go away with your bitter-sweet pain
- Of love; for love is the story of troubles,
- Of troubles and love, that travel together
- The round world round. Behold the bubbles
- Of love! Then troubles and turbulent weather.
- Why, man had all Eden! Then love, then Cain!