These Purple Nights

These purple nights

yield wild delights

Of chirping stars

and howling moon -

At hands' first touch

electrified,

with gasping breath

did my heart swoon -

But soon revived

with longing sigh -

lips met in prayer

to plead for time

as waning night

raced on -

Forbid the dawn!

Halt Phoebus!

Retract your fiery arc -

chase not the Huntress

from her perch so soon

with Aurora's throaty lark -

Turn forth your golden eye

to some distant, darkened sphere,

Toll the Matins and the Vespers

or let the chanson owl

play bright upon my ear -

the waltzing rhythm of twinning hearts

beat out our pace within the dark -

oh rapture! take me in your arms

So we may dance once more

'twixt shadows dim and deep

and scoff the siren call to sleep

through the purple hours of the night

when I take from thee such wild delights!