 | Flotsam and Jetsam |  |
92
FIREWORKS.
I dreamt. There was a great crowd gazing
At fireworks set before them blazing.
At fireworks set before them blazing.
The crowd were ‘Missing Links’; Cambodia's
Great Temple shows no shapes more odious;
Great Temple shows no shapes more odious;
Flat skulls, flat brows, yet convex noses,
Such as her ruined Fane discloses,
Such as her ruined Fane discloses,
Men's heads in conflict fierce off-twisting,
Spite of tame elephants assisting;—
Spite of tame elephants assisting;—
Such gibbering folk as grinned in ages
Long ere men lived o'er Lakes on stages;
Long ere men lived o'er Lakes on stages;
Left shells on midden—flints in barrow,
Or split hyena-bones for marrow.
Or split hyena-bones for marrow.
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The Pyrotechnist was a creature
Of noblest presence—Greek in feature.
Of noblest presence—Greek in feature.
He sent a single cracker bouncing—
The Links' delight there's no pronouncing:
The Links' delight there's no pronouncing:
A single squib he showed them fizzing—
Their rapture drowned the small tube's whizzing:
Their rapture drowned the small tube's whizzing:
One Roman candle fireball-shotted—
Down on their hams from fear they squatted:
Down on their hams from fear they squatted:
One Catherine-wheel's flame-petals playing—
Their gibbering hushed seemed almost praying:
Their gibbering hushed seemed almost praying:
A rocket skyward rushed up solely—
They shrieked him God—a Fetish wholly;
They shrieked him God—a Fetish wholly;
So wondrous fine his working—scheming;
He, too, so like themselves in seeming!
He, too, so like themselves in seeming!
Then the good Pyrotechnist lastly
Brought one great work to please them vastly;
Brought one great work to please them vastly;
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So grand, he felt in its ignition
The climax of his Exhibition.
The climax of his Exhibition.
He fixed it—lighted—set it whirling;
Squibs fizzed in streams from its unfurling:
Squibs fizzed in streams from its unfurling:
It whirled away; in its progression,
Up flew fireballs in bright succession!
Up flew fireballs in bright succession!
Still on it whirled; such gems emitting,
Such gold-thorns branching, fire-flowers flitting,
Such gold-thorns branching, fire-flowers flitting,
Such rings of flame, concentric, linking,
Such panting discs, expanding, shrinking;
Such panting discs, expanding, shrinking;
The very Saint from whom they named it,
If such her wheel, could scarce have blamed it!
If such her wheel, could scarce have blamed it!
Still on it whirled—such rockets dashed up,
As if to heaven's keystone they flashed up;
As if to heaven's keystone they flashed up;
Then split in melting stars and fine tails,
Long-stealing jewelled cats-o'-nine-tails;
Long-stealing jewelled cats-o'-nine-tails;
95
You would have thought the Man-Ape nation
Must have gone mad with admiration!
Must have gone mad with admiration!
But who can hit Men-Monkeys' notions?
Who guess a Missing-Link's emotions?
Who guess a Missing-Link's emotions?
For up jumped one—lank, sly and shifty—
(His ‘facial angle’ well-nigh fifty)
(His ‘facial angle’ well-nigh fifty)
Cries out, ‘Pray stop your mopping, mowing;
He no more made the things he's showing—
He no more made the things he's showing—
‘The toys by Time and Chance provided—
Made them no more than you or I did!
Made them no more than you or I did!
‘Here is no skill—no trick needs solving;
'Tis all produced by that revolving!
'Tis all produced by that revolving!
‘And powder's force—pasteboard's compression,
Cause that revolving, that progression;
Cause that revolving, that progression;
‘Until a squib that one could pocket,
Grows of itself into a rocket!’
Grows of itself into a rocket!’
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This sudden light, first notions scattering,
Makes that swart tribe one sea of chattering;
Makes that swart tribe one sea of chattering;
Their flow of veneration staunches—
They can but blink and scratch their haunches:
They can but blink and scratch their haunches:
Still more so when up danced a second,
(His brow some forty-five was reckoned)
(His brow some forty-five was reckoned)
Who mouthed at, mocked the placid showman:
‘That Thing's a Phantom, friends, and no man!
‘That Thing's a Phantom, friends, and no man!
‘O Monkey-Men, 'tis clear; for seeing
The firework-making proved his Being,
The firework-making proved his Being,
‘That myth of firework-making banished—
Argal, his Being too has vanished:
Argal, his Being too has vanished:
‘Your senses cheat you, in conclusion:—
Anthropo-Simian brain-illusion!’
Anthropo-Simian brain-illusion!’
His lofty scorn, his eyebrows twitching
High-raised, his logic so bewitching,
High-raised, his logic so bewitching,
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His lips protruded, red eyes leering,
Set all the mob the Showman jeering:
Set all the mob the Showman jeering:
‘Off with you, spectre! bogle flimsy,
Dissolving ghost, exploded whimsy!
Dissolving ghost, exploded whimsy!
You once packed off, that explanation
Leaves “LINK” the Lord of all Creation!’—
Leaves “LINK” the Lord of all Creation!’—
The Showman seemed at this reviling
To fade into the background, smiling:
To fade into the background, smiling:
Bedimmed by dust-clouds light-defying
Their antics kept about them flying:
Their antics kept about them flying:
Some Ape-Men who (quite mad reputed)
Still thought they saw him, were so hooted,
Still thought they saw him, were so hooted,
I woke—with admiration glowing
To find the Missing-Links so knowing.
To find the Missing-Links so knowing.
March 1874.
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