Part 9 (1/2)

The lights were coming and going In many a s.h.i.+ning strand, For the opal fire-kings were blowing The darkness out of the land.

This golden breath was a madness To set a poet on fire, And this was a cure for sadness, And that the ease of desire.

And all night long over Eri They fought with the wand of light And love that never grew weary The evil things of night.

They said, as dawn glimmered h.o.a.ry, ”We will show yourselves for an hour;”

And the children were changed to a glory By the beautiful magic of power.

The fire-kings smiled on their faces And called them by olden names, Till they towered like the starry races All plumed with the twilight flames.

They talked for a while together, How the toil of ages oppressed; And of how they best could weather The s.h.i.+p of the world to its rest.

The dawn in the room was straying: The children began to blink, When they heard a far voice saying, ”You can grow like that if you think!”

The sun came in yellow and gay light: They tumbled out of the cot, And half of the dream went with daylight And half was never forgot.

--July 15, 1896

The Chiefs of the Air

Their wise little heads with scorning They laid the covers between: ”Do they think we stay here till morning?”

Said Rory and Aileen.

When out their bright eyes came peeping The room was no longer there, And they fled from the dark world creeping Up a twilight cave of air.

They wore each one a gay dress, In sleep, if you understand, When earth puts off its grey dress To robe it in faeryland.

Then loud o'erhead was a humming As clear as the wood wind rings; And here were the air-boats coming And here the airy kings.

The magic barks were gleaming And swift as the feathered throng: With wonder-lights out-streaming They blew themselves along.

And up on the night-wind swimming, With pose and dart and rise, Away went the air fleet skimming Through a haze of jewel skies.

One boat above them drifted Apart from the flying bands, And an air-chief bent and lifted The children with mighty hands.

The children wondered greatly, Three air-chiefs met them there, They were tall and grave and stately With bodies of purple air.

A pearl light with misty s.h.i.+mmer Went dancing about them all, As the dyes of the moonbow glimmer On a trembling waterfall.

The trail of the fleet to the far lands Was wavy along the night, And on through the sapphire starlands They followed the wake of light.

”Look down, Aileen,” said Rory, ”The earth's as thin as a dream.”

It was lit by a sun-fire glory Outraying gleam on gleam.