Immortal Death

Light your candles at her feet,

Light your candles at her head.

Death has found and claimed his sweet,

And led her to their bridal bed.

If she dreams, oh, who can say?

This we know: she leaves for us

A vision modeled out of clay,

Surpassing and imperious.

Beauty cast in marbleness,

Immortally remote and fair,

Makes of life a clamored stress

Challenging the futile air.

Death, the faithful, found his bride,

Laid her sleeping on his bed.

None shall say that Youth has died,

Nor say that Loveliness lies dead.

Night shall blow the candles out,

Night shall kindle in their place

Stars to ring her feet about,

Stars to celebrate her face.

Altar fires, inviolate,

Flame in the West Wind's sighing breath,

And Life looks on, outside the gate,

At deathless beauty, carved in death.