[BNP/E3, 77 – 86-87]
An Idyll of To‑Day
___
She
If every tear of mine were gold
And every sigh a tear,
Wouldst thou not then with kisses bold
Entrap them falling clear?
If at each word I spoke of love
Pearls rained from out the air,
How pleasant would to thee then prove
To hear me speak for e'er!
He.
If at each look of love I cast
A cheque were signed and made,
If each tear's ending were the last
Touch of received and paid;
If each soft glance were a banknote
And the same every sigh,
Wouldst thou not have me learn by rote
Love's shows of misery?
Both
What can we do? What are we both
But beings of our time?
[87r]
An Idyll of To-Day (2).
Gold is the meat of living's broth,
The vowel of the rhyme.
Even a token sad and old.
A certain price will woo.
Our love would but be true as gold
If we were gold all through.
Alexander Search.
Durban, 1905.
