Murray, Rona. “I Love Her More.” Mills Manuscripts. Ed. Marjorie Fisher, et al. [Oakland, CA]: Associated Students of Mills College, 1942. 9.
Murray, Rona. “Wilt Thou Come, Mortal?” First Proof: Mills College Freshman Magazine 4 (1942): 9.
Rona Murray is not an unknown poet. She was part of the British Columbia literary scene in the 1960s through to her death in 2003. Her career began in 1951, according to an article in 1958, when she won first place in the British Columbia Centennial Drama competition for her one-act play Blue Duck’s Feathers and Eagle Down. But, I thought to myself, she may have published something earlier, and her papers are at the University of Victoria library. So I went to see.
The only thing that I found published previous to 1950 were these two poems in college publications; but at least they are published! Originally in 1942, now here on our blog.
I Love Her More
I held the moon in my branches
And I kissed her small, cold face,
And laughed and told her I loved her,
And sighed, for she’s not of my race.
Wilt Thou come, Mortal?
I heard a singing, sweet and low. A fairy child
Sat watching me with eyes and face aglow,
A beauteous child, so young, so sweet and mild,
My heart leapt with joy and hope. For long ago
I had known a fairy whom I had loved
With all my soul’s deep fire, one who smiled
And laughed as did this child. My beloved
She appeared to be, and therefore she beguiled
My poor starved heart with her singing wild.
“Whether life is real, or just another dream.
Which is true? Which imagination’s fancy?
Whether the world and we are what we seem?
Where will we wake when we end our strange phantasy?”
The child asked. “Wilt thou come, Mortal? Time flies!”
I hesitated, wondering. Should I dare
All for a dream? I looked in her deep blue eyes,
And, fiercely laughing, I caught her streaming hair.
We ran madly, swiftly, through the air.