A Letter to Her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment

 My head, my heart, mine eyes, my life, nay, more,
My joy, my magazine of earthly store,
If two be one, as surely thou and I,

*storehouse

My Sun is gone so far in's zodiac,
Whom whilst I 'joyed, nor storms, nor frost I felt,
His warmth such frigid colds did cause to melt.
My chilled limbs now numbed lie forlorn;
Return; return, sweet Sol, from Capricorn;
In this dead time, alas, what can I more
Than view those fruits which through thy heat I bore?
. . . .
I wish my Sun may never set, but burn
Within the Cancer of my glowing breast,
The welcome house of him my dearest guest.

"Capricorn." During the winter, the sun moves south.  By Dec. 21, it is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn.  It then moves north until is stands over the Tropic of Cancer on June 21.  She wants her husband back with her, which will return the summer to her heart.



The welcome house of him my dearest guest.
Where ever, ever stay, and go not thence,
Till nature's sad decree shall call thee hence;
Flesh of thy flesh, bone of thy bone,
I here, thou there, yet but both one.

"Flesh of thy flesh, bone of thy bone": cf Genesis 2:23 - "And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."