Sonnet XI from 'The Assent' sonnet sequence, a long poem by R.C.Appleton.

Sonnet XI
Each time I see you it is like the first;
My heart stops, and I feel that I must die
Or faint at least a little. To be kissed
Is far too much to hope for, since nearby
She waits for you, and so I am surpassed
Before you pass me by, before you come
Anywhere near me. Solitude at last
Reclaims me, when I take your shadow home,
An aged angel, plenitude in grey,
A man for every season of this world,
Whose glance enlightens with an inner day,
Whose touch remakes the hand that it has held;
I cannot have you, all that I can keep
Is this pale image to disturb my sleep.

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