Chayya I loved you first:... by the Bard of Bat Yam, Poet Laureate of Zion

Chayya I  loved you first: but afterwards your love 

Outsoaring mine, sang such a loftier song 

As drowned the friendly cooings of my dove. 

Which owes the other most? my love was long, 

And yours one moment seemed to wax more strong; 

Chayya  loved and guessed at you, you construed me 

And loved me for what might or might not be – 

Nay, weights and measures do us both a wrong. 

For verily love knows not ‘mine’ or ‘thine;’ 

With separate ‘I’ and ‘thou’ free love has done, 

For one is both and both are one in love: 

Rich love knows nought of ‘thine that is not mine;’ 

Both have the strength and both the length thereof, 

Both of us, of the love which makes us one.