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Hilltop: A Literary Paper. Volume 1 Number 3

Lissea Vara and the Fair Prince

Lissea Vara and the Fair Prince

"Sweet Lissea, give me Thy heart and hand,"
Implored the tall, fair prince of fairyland,
"For I have loved Thee, Lissie, from a child."
She listened to her lover strong and mild,
Then suddenly and exquisitely smiled—
Into this world was born a fairy child,
Who doth not think as other people do,
Yet is ostensibly the same as you
And other are, humans of Hulugu,
Or followers of Him, men call Yesu,
Also a beautiful, mild mannered Prince,
Folk sometimes so forget; 'tis so long since:
page 22 Yet in my well-remembered fairyland
Reality of Heaven walks hand in hand
With oft sung unreality of earth;
Who can compare that worth with this unworth,
Save one who cometh of the fairy birth?
Knowing how Lissie kisses in the dark,
Mother beloved ere Rava made His mark
In space, and round that Plumb Peg wove a 'world,'
A Sun and System, strung, suitably pearled,
For Her Perfection's Necklace, ever whirled
About the centre spin of Pthan-Amt-Ar,
A fourth-dimensional Sun and unseen Star,
Fairies know well, for so Mine 'Ain folk' are,
Not fools unknowing, but wise folks knowing well
The strange, sweet things, which few but poets tell,
These having drunk from that deep, moonlit well
Called 'Midnight Wisdom,' green as Amarel,
And blue as Sapphire with Devotion's Truth,
From whence those drinking, fearless, find full youth,
Through clay grows old and senile; Ne'er again
To look on life as do their fellow Men,
But rather as do folk from fairyland.
Little fair Lady, laughing on my hand,
Putting firm pressure on my willing pen,
Thou art sweet muse to all Thy gentlemen;
Thou, having come dost often come again,
Beautiful as a Rainbow, or a Star
Seen through pearl mist, who Pierre Chatelar,
Who died for Mary, knew equally well,
—We, who remember, why, then, should we tell
The supra-lovely, extra-secret things?
Which Triple Queens have told to Fourfold Kings,
While round Them flit the rainbow fairy wings
Of little 'Philistines' of Phyllis fair—
There is more round us in this common air
Than some fools wot of—Phyllissea fair,
Queen, poets' Partner, doth Thy poet dare
To dedicate to Thee these words, this air,
These denser lines and verse, unworthy Thee;
To publishing these same thus openly
In world unwaked of doubly doubting men?
My little Deva of Devalachen,
I do so dare! Fenella, o'er this fen
Shine Thy soft Light, no dancing 'Wullie Whusp.'
Lo, the Pole Star Shines, balanced on bicusp
Of 'Snow White's' very ancient arctic Bear;
My Love's a Queen! Laughter is everywhere!
O, Love, O Star of Love, truly I dare.
Pierrette of stars, Thy Pierrot, clad in yellow,
Earth's motley, Columbine—
Thy Clown, Thine, 'Punchinello.'