Part 1 (2/2)

They wore all three their coronals Till men with houses came And scored their heads with pits and walls And thought the hills were tame.

Red and white when day s.h.i.+nes bright They hide the green for miles, Where are the old hills gone? At night The moon looks down and smiles.

She sees the captors small and weak, She knows the prisoners strong, She hears the patient hills that speak: ”Brothers, it is not long;

”Brothers, we stood when they were not Ten thousand summers past.

Brothers, when they are clean forgot We shall outlive the last;

”One shall die and one shall flee With terror in his train, And earth shall eat the stones, and we Shall be alone again.”

A CHANT

Gently the petals fall as the tree gently sways That has known many springs and many petals fall Year after year to strew the green deserted ways And the statue and the pond and the low, broken wall.

Faded is the memory of old things done, Peace floats on the ruins of ancient festival; They lie and forget in the warmth of the sun, And a sky silver-blue arches over all.

O softly, O tenderly, the heart now stirs With desires faint and formless; and, seeking not, I find Quiet thoughts that flash like azure king-fishers Across the luminous tranquil mirror of the mind.

ARTEMIS ALTERA

O full of candour and compa.s.sion, Whom love and wors.h.i.+p both would praise, Love cannot frame nor wors.h.i.+p fas.h.i.+on The image of your fearless ways!

How show your n.o.ble brow's dark pallor, Your chivalrous casque of ebon hair, Your eyes' bright strength, your lips' soft valour, Your supple shoulders and hands that dare?

Our souls when navely you examine, Your sword of innocence, flaming, huge, Sweeps over us, and there is famine Within the ports of subterfuge.

You hate contempt and love not laughter; With your sharp spear of virgin will You harry the wicked strong; but after, O huntress who could never kill,

Should they be trodden down or pierced, Swift, swift, you fly with burning cheek To place your beauty's s.h.i.+eld reversed Above the vile defenceless weak!

STARLIGHT

Last night I lay in an open field And looked at the stars with lips sealed; No noise moved the windless air, And I looked at the stars with steady stare.

There were some that glittered and some that shone With a soft and equal glow, and one That queened it over the sprinkled round, Swaying the host with silent sound.

”Calm things,” I thought, ”in your cavern blue, I will learn and hold and master you; I will yoke and scorn you as I can, For the pride of my heart is the pride of a man.”

Gra.s.s to my cheek in the dewy field I lay quite still with lips sealed, And the pride of a man and his rigid gaze Stalked like swords on heaven's ways.

But through a sudden gate there stole The Universe and spread in my soul; Quick went my breath and quick my heart, And I looked at the stars with lips apart.

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