Young Love XVI - Love Afar

Love, art thou lonely to-day?     Lost love that I never see,     Love that, come noon or come night,     Comes never to me;     Love that I used to meet     In the hidden past, in the land     Of forbidden sweet.     Love! do you never miss     The old light in the days?     Does a hand     Come and touch thee at whiles     Like the wand of old smiles,     Like the breath of old bliss?     Or hast thou forgot,     And is all as if not?     What was it we swore?     'Evermore!     I and Thou,'     Ah, but Fate held the pen     And wrote N     Just before:     So that now,     See, it stands,     Our seals and our hands,     'I and Thou,     Nevermore!'     We said 'It is best!'     And then, dear, I went     And returned not again.     Forgive that I stir,     Like a breath in thy hair,     The old pain,     'Twas unmeant.     I will strive, I will wrest     Iron peace - it is best.     But, O for thy hand     Just to hold for a space,     For a moment to stand     In the light of thy face;     Translate Then to Now,     To hear 'Is it Thou?'     And reply     'It is I!'     Then, then I could rest,     Ah, then I could wait     Long and late.