We May Always Love

I may love him, I may love him, for he is a man, and I am only a beech-tree.  -Phantastes

Today I finished reading Phantastes by George MacDonald for the first time.  Beautiful book.  Read it.  I had no choice but to try to write poetry after reading it; so here is my best attempt at a tribute poem.  I wish I were better at poems with actual rhyme and meter; that would be more appropriate for a Phantastes poem; but I comfort myself with memory of Anodos' own disclaimers, that his poems are just poor shadows of what he found in Faerie.

We may love, we may love,
we may always love -
Only not to claim, and grasp, and own.
We may yearn, we may yearn,
we may always yearn -
Yet for their good, and their heart's home.
We may treasure them up in our heart,
And we may pray, we may pray,
we may always pray
That they may find mercy.

Yet we may not always serve,
For our service may be a burden.
Not for us to give milk to the child of another,
When for its own mother's breast it cries.
Not for us to wait upon every desire
When our beloved does not need yet another toy.
Not for us to throw ourselves at the feet of one we love
When his own wife already stands by his side.
But we may love, we may love,
we may always love,
And be glad every time another we love finds his dear companion,
And feel sweet pleasure to see him holding his child,
And pray with tears of love for all.

We may love, we may love,
we may always love,
And into such love no jealousy or hurt can enter,
Only compassion, and concern, and tender pain.

Offer your services where they are wanted and needed,
But love widely - love more widely than your steps can ever go.
Love the one weeping in the arms of her mother,
But hold to your bosom the weeping child who has no other.
Love those in distant corners of the world;
Love those who sit on street corners;
Love those who have died long ago;
Love those yet to be born.
Love the suffering, love the blissful,
Love the weak, love the strong,
Love those with needs you have no way to solve,
Love those you have no right to embrace.
Love those who flee from you;
Love those who spit upon you;
Love those who curse the name of your God -
Love all and serve whom you can.

You will find enough, and more than enough,
That your hand may do.