Poems by Themis

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.

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