Mary And Gabriel

Young Mary, loitering once her garden way,     Felt a warm splendour grow in the April day,     As wine that blushes water through. And soon,     Out of the gold air of the afternoon,     One knelt before her: hair he had, or fire,     Bound back above his ears with golden wire,     Baring the eager marble of his face.     Not man's nor woman's was the immortal grace     Rounding the limbs beneath that robe of white,     And lighting the proud eyes with changeless light,     Incurious. Calm as his wings, and fair,     That presence filled the garden.         She stood there,     Saying, "What would you, Sir?"         He told his word,     "Blessed art thou of women!" Half she heard,     Hands folded and face bowed, half long had known,     The message of that clear and holy tone,     That fluttered hot sweet sobs about her heart;     Such serene tidings moved such human smart.     Her breath came quick as little flakes of snow.     Her hands crept up her breast. She did but know     It was not hers. She felt a trembling stir     Within her body, a will too strong for her     That held and filled and mastered all. With eyes     Closed, and a thousand soft short broken sighs,     She gave submission; fearful, meek, and glad. . . .     She wished to speak. Under her breasts she had     Such multitudinous burnings, to and fro,     And throbs not understood; she did not know     If they were hurt or joy for her; but only     That she was grown strange to herself, half lonely,     All wonderful, filled full of pains to come     And thoughts she dare not think, swift thoughts and dumb,     Human, and quaint, her own, yet very far,     Divine, dear, terrible, familiar . . .     Her heart was faint for telling; to relate     Her limbs' sweet treachery, her strange high estate,     Over and over, whispering, half revealing,     Weeping; and so find kindness to her healing.     'Twixt tears and laughter, panic hurrying her,     She raised her eyes to that fair messenger.     He knelt unmoved, immortal; with his eyes     Gazing beyond her, calm to the calm skies;     Radiant, untroubled in his wisdom, kind.     His sheaf of lilies stirred not in the wind.     How should she, pitiful with mortality,     Try the wide peace of that felicity     With ripples of her perplexed shaken heart,     And hints of human ecstasy, human smart,     And whispers of the lonely weight she bore,     And how her womb within was hers no more     And at length hers?         Being tired, she bowed her head;     And said, "So be it!"         The great wings were spread     Showering glory on the fields, and fire.     The whole air, singing, bore him up, and higher,     Unswerving, unreluctant. Soon he shone     A gold speck in the gold skies; then was gone.     The air was colder, and grey. She stood alone.