Till I 'ad dropped whatever 't was for good, An' met my mate-the wind that tramps the world! It's like a book, I think, this bloomin' world, Gawd bless this world! Whatever she 'ath done- THE MIRACLES 1894 I SENT a message to my dear A thousand leagues and more to Her The dumb sea-levels thrilled to hear, Behind my message hard I came, And nigh had found a grave for me; Uprose the deep, in gale on gale, I stayed the sun at noon to tell Afar, I hailed the land at night- Earth sold her chosen men of strength I snatched their toil to serve my needsToo slow their fleetest flew for me. I tired twenty smoking steeds, And bade them bait a new for me. I sent the Lightnings forth to see Dawn ran to meet me at my goal- Rose up to buy and sell again! SONG OF THE WISE CHILDREN 1902 WHEN the darkened Fifties dip to the North, And the day is dead at his breaking-forth, Far to Southward they wheel and glance, The million molten spears The spears of our deliverance of morn That shine on the house where we were born. Flying-fish about our bows, Flying sea-fires in our wake: This is the road to our Father's House, We have forfeited our birthright, They that walk with shaded brows, We shall go back by the boltless doors, To the life unaltered our childhood knew— To the naked feet on the cool, dark floors, And the high-ceiled rooms that the Trade blows through: To the trumpet-flowers and the moon beyond, That talked us to sleep when we were small. The wayside magic, the threshold spells, Shall soon undo what the North has doneBecause of the sights and the sounds and the smells That ran with our youth in the eye of the sun. And Earth accepting shall ask no vows, Nor the Sea our love, nor our lover the Sky. ZION 1914-18 THE Doorkeepers of Zion, And all her mysteries, In Zion, at their ease. The Gatekeepers of Baal, For being bound to Baal, Whose sacrifice is vain, But we will go to Zion, By choice and not through dread, In both her fellowships, BUDDHA AT KAMAKURA 1892 "And there is a Japanese idol at Kamakura” YE who tread the Narrow Way By Tophet-flare to Judgment Day, Be gentle when "the heathen" pray To Buddha at Kamakura! To him the Way, the Law, apart, The Buddha of Kamakura. |