Bernard

Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth,
he whom I must love but for himself,
for whom I leave the north, east, west, and south
to seek him ever more within myself.

Let the world have all itself—it is enough
for me, this chapel floor to kneel upon.
Such is the ground of ecstasy, of love,
of nights of joy too soon dispelled by dawn.

For there the barren stones with orchards bloom,
and pomegranates from a wooden cross
pile up in all the corners of the room,
with flowers from a springtime beyond loss.

This watchman body sees him not, but I
can see; my soul finds him whom my heart loves.
Only a flash, a moment, a heart’s cry,
then he is gone who filled these pleasant groves.

So I will seek him still, my soul send forth
though here I kneel contented and confined.
I range a scope beyond mere south and north
to seek my love and know that I will find.

Christ Embracing St. Bernard by Francisco Ribalta - The Yorck Project (2002) 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei (DVD-ROM), distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH. ISBN: 3936122202., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=158223