Offering

 

Priestess, what will you sacrifice?

The altar of the dawn's afire,

The gods stoop from their paradise

To taste the ash of your desire.

 

What can you offer save a dream?

This body is but dust of earth,

And life's a purple passion-stream,

And mind a moon of airy birth.

 

Within the Fire offer fire,

Your silent heart's pure lonely flame;

 What have you lovelier or higher

To burn before his beauteous Name?

 

O priestess-soul, before He call,

The Sun-God of the mystic dance,

Gather your strength and lay your all

Upon the dawn's red altar-trance.

 

Then He, the Lord of sacrifice

Will open his gold-gates of grace,

And lay upon your new-born eyes

The lustrous vision of his face.

Page-31

---