Poem: I Will Not Give Thee All My Heart ~ Grace Hazard Conkling

August 12, 2020 | Filed Under Poem for Hela | No Comments

I Will Not Give Thee All My Heart
~ Grace Hazard Conkling

I will not give thee all my heart
For that I need a place apart
To dream my dreams in, and I know
Few sheltered ways for dreams to go:
But when I shut the door upon
Some secret wonder—still, withdrawn—
Why dost thou love me even more,
And hold me closer than before?

When I of love demand the least,
Thou biddest him to fire and feast:
When I am hungry and would eat,
There is no bread, though crusts were sweet.
If I with manna may be fed,
Shall I go all uncomforted?
Nay! Howsoever dear thou art,
I will not give thee all my heart.

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