If to intensify, by earning,
Thine unaffected yearning,
I must in thy presence stall,
Indifferent to thy lover's call;
...
The abstemious man I would fain to be,
Were it not for mine own casuistry-
The tomes of all mystics I eagerly scour,
To find what of Heaven I may'st ever devour,
...
In choicest nooks, I plead, obscure,
The books most worthy to procure.
...
Drink'st thee first to keep awake,
Coffee, else tea, and for thy Muses' sake
A tankard of ale to flee civility
That somniferous bane of lyric ability.
...
To imitate Nature's infinite hues,
Thy modest pigments needn't despair:
With well observèd Reds, Yellows, and Blues,
In triplets strung altogether, compare.
...
I am an avid collector of 19th and 20th century oil paintings. You can find them here: http: //stephenjchow.carbonmade.com/)
Love Constrained
If to intensify, by earning,
Thine unaffected yearning,
I must in thy presence stall,
Indifferent to thy lover's call;
Resist thy gestures to embrace,
And press thy lips upon my face;
An eternity loveless I'd rather endure,
Than love thee- thy love for me unsure.