XII + 

Mary Magdalene + 

With wandering eyes and aimless zeal, + 

She hither, thither, goes; + 

Her speech, her motions, all reveal + 

A mind without repose. + 

She climbs the hills, she haunts the sea, + 

By madness tortured, driven; + 

One hour’s forgetfulness would be + 

A gift from very heaven! + 

She slumbers into new distress; + 

The night is worse than day: + 

Exulting in her helplessness, + 

Hell’s dogs yet louder bay. + 

The demons blast her to and fro; + 

She has no quiet place, + 

Enough a woman still, to know + 

A haunting dim disgrace. + 

A human touch! a pang of death! + 

And in a low delight + 

Thou liest, waiting for new breath. + 

For morning out of night. + 

Thou risest up: the earth is fair, + 

The wind is cool; thou art free! + 

Is it a dream of hell’s despair + 

Dissolves in ecstasy? + 

That man did touch thee! Eyes divine + 

Make sunrise in thy soul; + 

Thou seëst love in order shine:⁠— + 

His health hath made thee whole! + 

Thou, sharing in the awful doom, + 

Didst help thy Lord to die; + 

Then, weeping o’er his empty tomb, + 

Didst hear him Mary cry. + 

He stands in haste; he cannot stop; + 

Home to his God he fares: + 

“Go tell my brothers I go up + 

To my Father, mine and theirs.” + 

Run, Mary! lift thy heavenly voice; + 

Cry, cry, and heed not how; + 

Make all the new-risen world rejoice⁠— + 

Its first apostle thou! + 

What if old tales of thee have lied, + 

Or truth have told, thou art + 

All-safe with him, whate’er betide⁠— + 

Dwell’st with him in God’s heart! + 