The Sun That Slew The Night

​I beheld the vial hidden in thy sleeve, The gleam of death within its lip. Many falsehoods lay asleep In the hollow of thy grip. ​Yet did I draw near unto thee, As one who breaks the sacred bread; I stilled my fear, denied my plea, And drank the truth that others fled. ​And he spake, saying: “O giver of nectar most high, receive my soul for thy poison. And when my folly bringeth death, wheresoever I am cast, whether unto the courts of heaven or the pits of flame, I shall boast among the devils: I have seen the light of heaven, and tasted thereof enough to endure eternity.” ​I shall not cry out at the burning, Nor curse the hand that filled the cup. I will bear the grief of thy betraying If for a moment thou wert mine. ​So let them behold me as I descend, My head unbowed, my eyes aflame. They shall see my wounds and understand: I loved a sun that slew the night.