A Man’s Requirements – Elizabeth Barrett Browning

💛 I Love me, Sweet, with all thou art, Feeling, thinking, seeing;

Love me in the lightest part,

Love me in full being.

II

Love me with thine open youth

In its frank surrender;

With the vowing of thy mouth,

💥 With its silence tender.

III

💥 Love me with thine azure eyes,

Made for earnest granting;

💥 Taking colour from the skies,

💥 Can Heaven’s truth be wanting?

IV

Love me with their lids, that fall 💥

Snow-like at first meeting; 💥

Love me with thine heart, that all Neighbours then see beating. 💥

V

Love me with thine hand stretched out Freely open-minded: 💥

Love me with thy loitering foot,

Hearing one behind it. 💥

VI

Love me with thy voice, that turns

Sudden faint above me;

Love me with thy blush that burns

When I murmur ‘Love me!’ 💥

VII

Love me with thy thinking soul, 💥

Break it to love-sighing;

Love me with thy thoughts that roll

💥 On through living ~ dying. 💥

VIII

💥 Love me in thy gorgeous airs

When the world has crowned thee;

💥 Love me, kneeling at thy prayers,

With the angels round thee.

IX

Love me pure, as muses do,

Up the woodlands shady:

Love me gaily, fast and true,

As a winsome lady.

X

💥 Through all hopes that keep us brave,

Farther off or nigher,

Love me for the house and grave,

And something higher.💥

XI

Thus, if thou wilt proves me,

Dear, 💥

Woman’s love no fable, 💥

I will love thee half a year 💥

As a man is able. 💥