Love Abounds

Today is our thirteenth anniversary and love abounds.

 

My Beloved Is Mine and I Am His

Even like two little bank-dividing brooks,

That wash the pebbles with their wanton stream,

And having ranged and searched a thousand nook

Meet both at length in silver-breasted Thames

Where in a greater current they conjoin

So I my Best-Beloved's am, so he is mine

Even so we met; and after long pursuit

Even so we joined; we both became entire

No need for either to renew a suit,

For I was flax and he was flames of fire

Our firm united souls did more than

So I my Best-Beloved's am, so he is mine.

If all those glittering monarchs that command

The servile quarters of this earthly ball

Should tender in exchange their shares of land,

I would not change my fortunes for them all:

Their wealth is but a counter to my coin;
The world's but theirs, but my Beloved's mine.

Nay, more: if the fair Thespian ladies all

Should heap together their diviner treasure,

That treasure should be deemed a price too small

To buy a minute's lease of half my pleasure.
'Tis not the sacred wealth of all the Nine
Can buy my heart from him, or his from being mine.


Nor time, nor place, nor chance, nor death can bow
My least desires unto the least remove;
He's firmly mine by oath, I his by vow;
He's mine by faith, and I am his by love;
He's mine by water, I am his by wine;
Thus I my Best-Beloved's am, thus he is mine.
 

He is my altar, I his holy place;

I am his guest, and he my living food;

I'm his by penitence, he mine by grace;

I'm his by purchase, he is mine by blood;

He's my supporting elm, and I his vine:

Thus I my Best-Beloved's am, thus he is mine.

He gives me wealth, I give him all my vows;

I give him songs, he gives me length of days;

With wreaths of grace he crowns my conquering brows;

And I his temples with a crown of praise,

Which he accepts as an everlasting sign,

That I my Best-Beloved's am; that he is mine.

 

Francis Quarles