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Poems Written as Metrical Experiments
O pall of black Night painted with still gold stars, Hang now thy folds, close, clinging against earth's bars, O dim Night! Then Slumber shall come swinging the unseen Gates, and to lands guarded by a screen Of strange light Set out, my soul charioted on a swift dream From earth escape slipping into the unknown gleam, The Ray white.
To the hill-tops of silence from over the infinite sea, Golden he came, Armed with the flame, Looked on the world that his greatness and passion must free.
Oh, but fair was her face as she lolled in her green-tinted robe, Emerald trees, Sapphire seas, Sun-ring and moon-ring that glittered and hung in each lobe.
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In the ending of time, in the sinking of space What shall survive? Hearts once alive, Beauty and charm of a face? Nay, these shall be safe in the breast of the One, Man deified, World-spirits wide, — Nothing ends, all but began.
In some faint dawn, In some dim eve, Like a gesture of Light, Like a dream of delight Thou com'st nearer and nearer to me.
In a flaming as of spaces Curved like spires, An epiphany of faces, Long curled fires, The illumined and tremendous Masque drew near, A God-pageant of the aeons Vast, deep-hued, And the thunder of its paeans Wide-winged, nude, In their harmony stupendous Smote earth's ear.
Page – 650 O Life, thy breath is but a cry
O Life, thy breath is but a cry to the Light Immortal, whence has come thy swift delight, Thy grasp.
All things in vain thy hands seize; Earth's music fails, the notes cease Or rasp.
Aloud thou callst to blind Fate, "Remove the bar, the gold gate Unhasp."
But never hast thou the goal yet of thy race Neared, nor thrilled with the ineffable Face, The clasp.
Vast-winged the wind ran, violent, black-cowled the waves O'er-topped with fierce green eyes the deck, Huge heads upraised. Death-hunted, wound-weary, groaned like a whipped beast the ship, Shrank, cowered, sobbed, each blow like Fate's Despairing felt.
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Winged with dangerous deity, Passion swift and implacable Arose and, storm-footed, In the dim heart of him
Ran insatiate, conquering, Worlds devouring and hearts of men, Then perished, broken by The irresistible
Occult masters of destiny, They who sit in the Secrecy And watch unmoved ever Unto the end of all.
Outspread a Wave burst, a Force leaped from the unseen, Vague, wide, some veiled Maker, masked Lighter of the Fire: With dire blows the Smith of the World Forged strength from hearts of the weak; Earth's hate the edge of the axe, Smitten by the gods, Hewn, felled, the Form crashed that touched heaven and its stars.
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On the grey street and the lagging winding waters One sees far off stealing away to meet the rich drooping purple of the sky A stillness falls, — a supernatural silence Lies on the lap of Nature.
The street man's life, and the waters earth's sky-dowry, And this rich span's unreal splendour, symbol hue, sign to sight of the Unseen; Man's life lies mute, the waters run to the splendour; The Unseen is this mighty Silence.
Cry of the ocean's surges, the long hexameter rolling Covers my spirit as tides roll over rapturous shores. Foam on its tops the pentameter curls to its cadenced closing, Two high waves, then a hush swoons on the ear in its fall.
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