 | Poems : medley and Palestina |  |
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TALES AND BALLADS
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A Seaside Story.
I
The Mermaiden.
There were jubilant sails on the ocean
And skeleton wrecks on the land;
There were laughters of billows in motion
To dance and to die on the sand.
And skeleton wrecks on the land;
There were laughters of billows in motion
To dance and to die on the sand.
There were shadowy Thules of islands,
Where Edens of lovers might be;
There was sea to the faraway skylands,
Wild, futile heartbeating of sea.
Where Edens of lovers might be;
There was sea to the faraway skylands,
Wild, futile heartbeating of sea.
There were sea-gods and nymphs in the waters
That burnished the beach with their spray;
All the beautiful sons and the daughters
Of ocean had gathered in play.
That burnished the beach with their spray;
All the beautiful sons and the daughters
Of ocean had gathered in play.
But the marvel of all, and the jewel,
Was a heart that had worshipped for years,
Which a mermaiden laughing and cruel
Had flung to a tempest of tears.
Was a heart that had worshipped for years,
Which a mermaiden laughing and cruel
Had flung to a tempest of tears.
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II
The Seaside Lake.
A lake beside the ocean's brim,
Where velvet lilies dream and swim,
And rushes nod beside the whisper
Of ripples shimmering faint and dim.
Where velvet lilies dream and swim,
And rushes nod beside the whisper
Of ripples shimmering faint and dim.
Anear, the yearning tempest cries;
It comes from Love's lost paradise;
It leaps against the barring beaches;
It foams in agony, writhes and dies.
It comes from Love's lost paradise;
It leaps against the barring beaches;
It foams in agony, writhes and dies.
In vain the surges sob and break;
They cannot reach the prisoned lake,
Nor rive the crystal of its ripples,
Nor kiss one silvery flower awake.
They cannot reach the prisoned lake,
Nor rive the crystal of its ripples,
Nor kiss one silvery flower awake.
O love, our lives are shored apart,
And all the cyclones of my heart
Can never fling one throbbing billow
Among the refuges where thou art.
And all the cyclones of my heart
Can never fling one throbbing billow
Among the refuges where thou art.
III
The Meeting.
Do you remember the night
Of crescented, astral glamor,
The beaches brindled with light,
The foam and the billowy clamor?
Of crescented, astral glamor,
The beaches brindled with light,
The foam and the billowy clamor?
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Do you remember the bliss
So stealthily sought and hidden?
The clasp, the pressure, the kiss,
That all the gods had forbidden?
So stealthily sought and hidden?
The clasp, the pressure, the kiss,
That all the gods had forbidden?
Alas that a love for life
Must live and die without token!
That the dearest of words, “My wife”
Must be forever unspoken!
Must live and die without token!
That the dearest of words, “My wife”
Must be forever unspoken!
As Heaven is my witness, I
Had gladly cherished that woman
In face of the sea and the sky,
The earth and all that is human.
Had gladly cherished that woman
In face of the sea and the sky,
The earth and all that is human.
Years hence that evening will beam
Athwart life's ocean of sadness,
And I shall see it, and dream
That loving was naught but gladness.
Athwart life's ocean of sadness,
And I shall see it, and dream
That loving was naught but gladness.
IV
Remembrance.
I had thought to see her no more,
But I dwell in Thules of fancy,
And she haunteth their every shore
With her beautiful necromancy.
But I dwell in Thules of fancy,
And she haunteth their every shore
With her beautiful necromancy.
In the midnight's hiddenmost lair,
In the morning's vividest portal,
I discern her aslant on air,
Like a spirit who greets a mortal.
In the morning's vividest portal,
I discern her aslant on air,
Like a spirit who greets a mortal.
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O the delicate, tender gleam
Of the carven Parian features,
Such as sculptors delight to dream
Of in marble for godlike creatures!
Of the carven Parian features,
Such as sculptors delight to dream
Of in marble for godlike creatures!
As I worship she seems to chase
All of sombreness from my story,
And around me infinite space
Overbrims one moment with glory.
All of sombreness from my story,
And around me infinite space
Overbrims one moment with glory.
But a moment! And then the spot
Is a cell for the broken-hearted,
And that portraiture, thus forgot,
Is another angel departed.
Is a cell for the broken-hearted,
And that portraiture, thus forgot,
Is another angel departed.
Tender and True.
I
The Stroll.
Do you remember the diadem
Of purple cliff where we stood together,
Beneath the canopied golden weather,
And saw the lanskip gleam like a gem?
Of purple cliff where we stood together,
Beneath the canopied golden weather,
And saw the lanskip gleam like a gem?
Saw burnished river, meadow and vales,
The lustrous domes of emerald highland,
The topaz strand of the distant island,
The turquoise mere and the pearly sails?
The lustrous domes of emerald highland,
The topaz strand of the distant island,
The turquoise mere and the pearly sails?
The pageant flashed like a jeweled dream;
But your enchantment doubled the splendor;
You cast the glory, mighty and tender,
Of love on forest, meadow and stream.
But your enchantment doubled the splendor;
You cast the glory, mighty and tender,
Of love on forest, meadow and stream.
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Far into heaven I soared the while;
Frail as you seemed, you had seraph pinions;
You bore me to fanes in starry dominions;
You made me god with merely your smile.
Frail as you seemed, you had seraph pinions;
You bore me to fanes in starry dominions;
You made me god with merely your smile.
You made me god, companioned with you—
Ashtar and Adon—sister and brother;
But not alike divine to each other;
I was the sham god; you were the true.
Ashtar and Adon—sister and brother;
But not alike divine to each other;
I was the sham god; you were the true.
Do you remember—Alas, alas!
'Tis I, and I alone, who remember;
That hour, to you, is a perished ember,
A withered nosegay, an emptied glass.
'Tis I, and I alone, who remember;
That hour, to you, is a perished ember,
A withered nosegay, an emptied glass.
II
A Hope.
A little hope!It may not be true!
And the heavens above me seem to ope
Their curtains of blue;
And the angel ladders of sunlight slope
For me to mount and pass through.
The tale that I heard
Was only the chirp of a random bird,
A babble some ancient grimalkin purred,
The repetition of nobody's word,
A note that hazard or fantasy blew,
That the freaky pigmies of elfland drew
From harebell trumpets jeweled with dew.
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I who have dared with heroes to cope,
Who barely yesterday ceased to gird
My loins for battle with treason's crew?
Why should I throb and reel and shiver
Like a reed in the river,
Because an airy inanity stirred,
Because an arrow from falsehood's quiver
Out of vacancy whirred,
Into nothingness flew
And is spent forever?
Now peace has come,
The air with promise of love is laden;
I will turn my back on the silenced drum
And seek the rest of my childhood's home,
There to worship once more and sue
Before the face of the fairest girl
God ever wrought in coral and pearl,
Or marble of Aidenn.
III
The Wedding.
I have fought and fallen. The strife was vain,
The maniac wrestle for unbelief—
Recoil of an idiot wild with pain—
A tortured idiot, mad for relief.
I have seen and believed. The tale stood well—
As strong as despair and sin and grief—
As true as—yes, that earth is a hell
Where only the damned and the devils dwell.
The maniac wrestle for unbelief—
Recoil of an idiot wild with pain—
A tortured idiot, mad for relief.
I have seen and believed. The tale stood well—
As strong as despair and sin and grief—
As true as—yes, that earth is a hell
Where only the damned and the devils dwell.
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I lurked by the lattice and saw—not all—
But more and clearer than heart could bear.
A taunting splendor illumined the hall;
The music clamored with insolent blare.
I cowered and glared while the careless tread
Of passers jostled my dumb despair,
Not knowing they trampled a heart that bled,
Not knowing they stumbled against one dead.
But more and clearer than heart could bear.
A taunting splendor illumined the hall;
The music clamored with insolent blare.
I cowered and glared while the careless tread
Of passers jostled my dumb despair,
Not knowing they trampled a heart that bled,
Not knowing they stumbled against one dead.
The gibbering drunkard struck my cheek;
But what to me was a stranger's blow?
My friend had stabbed me; my soul was weak
And humble and unresenting with woe.
And she I worshipped had edged the blade,
And bidden me bare my breast. But no!
I cannot hate her; I was not made
To curse the altar where once I prayed.
But what to me was a stranger's blow?
My friend had stabbed me; my soul was weak
And humble and unresenting with woe.
And she I worshipped had edged the blade,
And bidden me bare my breast. But no!
I cannot hate her; I was not made
To curse the altar where once I prayed.
They had craved my presence. A scented note
Arrived in bridal ribbons to plead—
Go! I would sooner have held my throat
To the cannibal's knife and bid him feed.
Go! I trampled the billet to earth
And swore to have done with the human breed—
To house myself by my blighted hearth
Till the burial mutes should bear me forth.
Arrived in bridal ribbons to plead—
Go! I would sooner have held my throat
To the cannibal's knife and bid him feed.
Go! I trampled the billet to earth
And swore to have done with the human breed—
To house myself by my blighted hearth
Till the burial mutes should bear me forth.
And yet I went—like a beggar crept
Through tainted alleys and reeled to the door;
Shaded my visage and wept—yes, wept!
To hear the viols their jubilee pour—
Quivered with rage when the rhythmic beat
Of dancers hollowly thrummed the floor,
And started away with tremulous feet
If a waltzer paused by the window seat.
Through tainted alleys and reeled to the door;
Shaded my visage and wept—yes, wept!
To hear the viols their jubilee pour—
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Of dancers hollowly thrummed the floor,
And started away with tremulous feet
If a waltzer paused by the window seat.
At last I wandered, crouching and dumb,
Like a starving tiger, balked of his prey,
To my lonely dwelling, my childhood's home
(My cell henceforth to my dying day),
Divided from hers by a wooded dell,
And watched in frenzy her window ray
Until it vanished, and with it fell
The only glimmer that lighted my hell.
Like a starving tiger, balked of his prey,
To my lonely dwelling, my childhood's home
(My cell henceforth to my dying day),
Divided from hers by a wooded dell,
And watched in frenzy her window ray
Until it vanished, and with it fell
The only glimmer that lighted my hell.
IV
The Grove.
The wooded ravine fills with night
Between her roof and mine,
But through its boughs I mark the light
Of her chamber window shine,
A dazing glimmer, ruby bright,
That turns my brain like wine.
Between her roof and mine,
But through its boughs I mark the light
Of her chamber window shine,
A dazing glimmer, ruby bright,
That turns my brain like wine.
A little grove, a hundred trees:
I know each oak and fir.
I wander there to hear the glees
Of the birds who sing of her,
To kiss the passing of the breeze
Whose plumes her curtain stir.
I know each oak and fir.
I wander there to hear the glees
Of the birds who sing of her,
To kiss the passing of the breeze
Whose plumes her curtain stir.
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A little grove, but cruel strong,
It rules us like to slaves;
Between our lives its shadows throng
With the sweep of ocean's waves;
The power that sunders right from wrong
Pervades the leafy naves.
It rules us like to slaves;
Between our lives its shadows throng
With the sweep of ocean's waves;
The power that sunders right from wrong
Pervades the leafy naves.
No might but his could break the spell
Who lords the demon sky.
How often would I thank him well,
If the beast would steal anigh
And lead me through that barring dell—
To win her?—No, to die.
Who lords the demon sky.
How often would I thank him well,
If the beast would steal anigh
And lead me through that barring dell—
To win her?—No, to die.
V
The Sleep.
He had threaded the wood;He had paused in its utmost verge,
The verge where her dwelling stood;
And there had laid him to brood
In tune to the night-wind's dirge,
To the wail of midnight's mournfulest mood.
And there he slept
When the morning threw
Its fragrant shadows athwart the dew
And dried the tears that the roses had wept.
The tender light of the infant morn,
The light of a day just born,
Awoke from its cradle and touched his brow;
A day that never knew him till now
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More gently than kisses the frosted flake,
As though it loved the moment it wist.
It touched, but might not awake;
Alas! nor evil nor good,
That slumber may shake.
He sleeps
In the midst of the mighty brood
Who inhabit the unknown caves
Beneath eternity's deeps,
Beneath the mere whose ripples are graves.
He knows the slumber that wakes not,
He has entered the rest that breaks not.
His eyes, while gazing upon her home,
Where footstep of his might never come,
Had drooped and closed forever.
They saw the Eden forbid to him;
They saw—and then their sight was dim.
The heavens darkened, earth fell dumb.
The clock that striketh, “Forever! Never!”
Rang out. He passed eternity's brim.
Gone was the thought of gladness departed,
Gone the sorrow that slew;
And there he lay, the brave loving-hearted,
Love's Douglas, tender and true.
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VI
The Dead March.
The hoarse drum groans, the shrill fife greets,
The dead-march wails from hearth to tomb,
The ranked feet tramp through black-hung streets,
The swart steeds drag the bier's slow gloom.
The dead-march wails from hearth to tomb,
The ranked feet tramp through black-hung streets,
The swart steeds drag the bier's slow gloom.
The men he led still march with him,
They keep the step and speak no word;
Their brows are knit, their eyes are dim,
Their thoughts are grave, their hearts are stirred.
They keep the step and speak no word;
Their brows are knit, their eyes are dim,
Their thoughts are grave, their hearts are stirred.
They mind how oft in war's fierce blaze
He cheered them where a fiend might quail,
How red his cheek, how blithe his gaze—
That gaze now quenched, that cheek now pale.
He cheered them where a fiend might quail,
How red his cheek, how blithe his gaze—
That gaze now quenched, that cheek now pale.
With slow, set tread they pass her by,
She gives one glance and drops one tear.
They know he died, they ask not why;
They mark her not, though she is near.
She gives one glance and drops one tear.
They know he died, they ask not why;
They mark her not, though she is near.
They hold that death is lord of all,
They hold that no man owns his breath,
They hold that each must have his ball,
That life is war, and war is death.
They hold that no man owns his breath,
They hold that each must have his ball,
That life is war, and war is death.
They halt; they fire the last sad shot
With calm, stern eyes and sure, strong hands;
Then quickly, lightly leave the spot
To jubilant bars of brazen bands.
With calm, stern eyes and sure, strong hands;
Then quickly, lightly leave the spot
To jubilant bars of brazen bands.
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The Same in the Ending.
Our eyes greet often and often,
Yet know each other no better,
Though sometimes hers seemed to soften
When sudden and near I met her.
Yet know each other no better,
Though sometimes hers seemed to soften
When sudden and near I met her.
And once I thought she grew paler
Because I approached too boldly.
What folly! No heartbeat would fail her,
Though I slept starkly and coldly.
Because I approached too boldly.
What folly! No heartbeat would fail her,
Though I slept starkly and coldly.
No doubt 'twould waken her scorning
To know that such fancies cheer me;
To know that I rise each morning
From visions throning her near me;
To know that such fancies cheer me;
To know that I rise each morning
From visions throning her near me;
To know that throbbing and humming
And dizziness stir my senses
When far off I see her coming
And hope for one of her glances.
And dizziness stir my senses
When far off I see her coming
And hope for one of her glances.
What could she care for a stranger,
Grave, silent, passing in hurry,
Whose love would be but a danger,
Whose gaze perhaps is a worry?
Grave, silent, passing in hurry,
Whose love would be but a danger,
Whose gaze perhaps is a worry?
Farewell! We part without meeting;
Yet the senseless word rings sadly.
Farewell! 'Tis my only greeting
To one I might have loved madly.
Yet the senseless word rings sadly.
Farewell! 'Tis my only greeting
To one I might have loved madly.
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With tears it was felt and written;
Alas! it could not be spoken.
Years flitted; those hearts were smitten
By others; by others broken.
Alas! it could not be spoken.
Years flitted; those hearts were smitten
By others; by others broken.
'Twas all the same in the ending;
'Twas only sobbing and sighing;
Their smiles were naught but pretending;
Their first true gladness was dying.
'Twas only sobbing and sighing;
Their smiles were naught but pretending;
Their first true gladness was dying.
'Twas all the same in the sorrow
As though they had tower'd in sinning;
And if God's to-day had no morrow,
His smile were scarcely worth winning.
As though they had tower'd in sinning;
And if God's to-day had no morrow,
His smile were scarcely worth winning.
The Vestal.
All the day we are holden asunder
By destiny's infinite hands,
By society's carping and wonder;
By creeds and their stony commands,
By the chidings of dogma and virtue,
By maidenhood's blush in your face,
By my terror lest loving may hurt you,
By conscience and grace.
By destiny's infinite hands,
By society's carping and wonder;
By creeds and their stony commands,
By the chidings of dogma and virtue,
By maidenhood's blush in your face,
By my terror lest loving may hurt you,
By conscience and grace.
But at night, in the Eden of slumber,
All obstacles fade and depart;
Nor the planets nor man may encumber
My way to your side and your heart;
I believe that my longings have won you
To render my soul its desire;
I believe that my kisses fall on you
Like rose leaves of fire.
All obstacles fade and depart;
Nor the planets nor man may encumber
My way to your side and your heart;
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To render my soul its desire;
I believe that my kisses fall on you
Like rose leaves of fire.
So we live till the moment of waking
Removes you and joy from my side;
Yes, the day in its envious breaking
Has stolen my virginal bride,
Who laid on my shoulder her tresses
And smiled when I called her my own;
It has borne her from vows and caresses,
And left me alone.
Removes you and joy from my side;
Yes, the day in its envious breaking
Has stolen my virginal bride,
Who laid on my shoulder her tresses
And smiled when I called her my own;
It has borne her from vows and caresses,
And left me alone.
The Bishop of Thule.
The Lord Archbishop of Thule
(God grant him honor and ruth!)
Believed most truly and duly
In all that he held for truth.
(God grant him honor and ruth!)
Believed most truly and duly
In all that he held for truth.
As angels know in the skylands
High grace the bishop achieved;
He sailed to the Fairy Islands
And preached there what he believed.
High grace the bishop achieved;
He sailed to the Fairy Islands
And preached there what he believed.
He summoned the elfin legions
To leave their heathenish creed,
And told them of lofty regions
More lovely than fairy mead.
To leave their heathenish creed,
And told them of lofty regions
More lovely than fairy mead.
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Far into the night he pleaded;
The moon went hearkening by,
And only the starlight beaded
The magical elfland sky.
The moon went hearkening by,
And only the starlight beaded
The magical elfland sky.
“O brothers,” he cried, “great wonders
The truth of my words shall prove;
Belief can loosen the thunders
And cause the hills to remove.
The truth of my words shall prove;
Belief can loosen the thunders
And cause the hills to remove.
“But thunders would sorely frighten,
And never a hill is here;
I'll pray that the stars which brighten
This welkin may disappear.”
And never a hill is here;
I'll pray that the stars which brighten
This welkin may disappear.”
His honest old hands he lifted,
And closed his honest old eyes,
And prayed till the daybeams drifted
In argosies through the skies.
And closed his honest old eyes,
And prayed till the daybeams drifted
In argosies through the skies.
Then yearning, hoping, confiding,
Upturning his grateful gaze,
He saw the galaxies hiding
Their glory in morning's haze.
Upturning his grateful gaze,
He saw the galaxies hiding
Their glory in morning's haze.
Thereon the little brown people,
The trolls and fairies and elves,
Erected a chapel and steeple,
And prayed for wonders themselves.
The trolls and fairies and elves,
Erected a chapel and steeple,
And prayed for wonders themselves.
And the bishop proclaimed in Thule,
“A miracle God hath wrought;”
And all that he said he truly
Believed in his inmost thought.
“A miracle God hath wrought;”
And all that he said he truly
Believed in his inmost thought.
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The Lost Hunter.
The mountains grow daily stranger,
The river windings betray;
And the ranger who laughed at danger
Has lost forever his way.
The river windings betray;
And the ranger who laughed at danger
Has lost forever his way.
Full many a shore he trended,
Full many a desert crost,
Full many a crest ascended;
But Boone, the hunter, was lost.
Full many a desert crost,
Full many a crest ascended;
But Boone, the hunter, was lost.
At last, as the day fell dimmer,
He came to a peak of snow,
Revealing with ghostly glimmer
More countries than mortals know.
He came to a peak of snow,
Revealing with ghostly glimmer
More countries than mortals know.
And there, on the topmost glisten,
The ranger saw phantoms three,
Each warning, “O pilgrim, listen!”
Each pleading, “O come with me!”
The ranger saw phantoms three,
Each warning, “O pilgrim, listen!”
Each pleading, “O come with me!”
A seraph was one from glory,
And one was a darkling sprite,
And one was a chieftain of story
The hunter had slain in fight.
And one was a darkling sprite,
And one was a chieftain of story
The hunter had slain in fight.
Three trails they showed him, divided
The one from the other far;
The first through firmaments glided
To ramparts bright as a star;
The one from the other far;
The first through firmaments glided
To ramparts bright as a star;
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The second slanted through shadows
Beyond earth's somberest bounds;
The third sought emerald meadows—
The Beautiful Hunting Grounds.
Beyond earth's somberest bounds;
The third sought emerald meadows—
The Beautiful Hunting Grounds.
Said Boone, “The skyland is brighter
Than sinner like me may scale,
And only a craven fighter
Belongs in the murky trail;
Than sinner like me may scale,
And only a craven fighter
Belongs in the murky trail;
“So now to my ancient foeman
I proffer my troth and say:
Guide me, O bowman, where no man
Unearths the hatchet to slay.”
I proffer my troth and say:
Guide me, O bowman, where no man
Unearths the hatchet to slay.”
The Goat.
When Lucifer fled from Salem
He rode a reverend goat
Who talked like the beast of Baalam
And knew all magic by rote.
He rode a reverend goat
Who talked like the beast of Baalam
And knew all magic by rote.
No steed had ever such motion,
Or strength, or terrible mien;
He vaulted mountain and ocean,
He frighted as soon as seen.
Or strength, or terrible mien;
He vaulted mountain and ocean,
He frighted as soon as seen.
Wherever his footfalls dallied
They withered the blooms and grass;
The comets and stars went pallid
With horror to see him pass.
They withered the blooms and grass;
The comets and stars went pallid
With horror to see him pass.
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The witches welcomed his coming,
The dead arose from their graves,
The fiends fled hustling and humming
From Sheol's shadiest caves.
The dead arose from their graves,
The fiends fled hustling and humming
From Sheol's shadiest caves.
The goat got prouder and prouder,
He fancied this power his own;
Each minute he boasted louder,
And talked of himself alone.
He fancied this power his own;
Each minute he boasted louder,
And talked of himself alone.
“Dear Satan, the day is breaking
When earth will know me,” he said;
“The stars in the sky are quaking
Already to hear my tread.
When earth will know me,” he said;
“The stars in the sky are quaking
Already to hear my tread.
“My force and knowledge of magic
Are surely beyond compare;
I long to do something tragic
And make the universe stare.
Are surely beyond compare;
I long to do something tragic
And make the universe stare.
“I long to throw down a quarter,
Or so, of the heavenly host,
And trample the trash to mortar,
To show who governs the roast.
Or so, of the heavenly host,
And trample the trash to mortar,
To show who governs the roast.
Just then the pilgrimage ended
Beside the portal of Hell;
In silence Satan descended,
Scarce nodding the goat farewell.
Beside the portal of Hell;
In silence Satan descended,
Scarce nodding the goat farewell.
That moment his gifts departed—
Gab, sorcery, speed and pluck;
No longer Creation started
Whenever he reared to buck.
Gab, sorcery, speed and pluck;
No longer Creation started
Whenever he reared to buck.
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A Fable of Salem.
“Come quickly!” wept the dying Grace;
“Abide with me, my pastor!
Then might I finish well the race,
And mount and fly the faster;
Then might I suffer the Maker's face
And kiss the feet of the Master.”
“Abide with me, my pastor!
Then might I finish well the race,
And mount and fly the faster;
Then might I suffer the Maker's face
And kiss the feet of the Master.”
But far away the forest rocked
With storms from curst dominions;
The witches skirred, the wizards flocked,
The air was thick with pinions;
And there the minister danced and mocked
With Satan's sootiest minions.
With storms from curst dominions;
The witches skirred, the wizards flocked,
The air was thick with pinions;
And there the minister danced and mocked
With Satan's sootiest minions.
He mocked and danced in priestly black;
No warlock matched his leaping.
Apollyon clapped his portly back
And laughed almost to weeping;
And the parson skipped like a jumping-jack
To think his deacons were sleeping.
No warlock matched his leaping.
Apollyon clapped his portly back
And laughed almost to weeping;
And the parson skipped like a jumping-jack
To think his deacons were sleeping.
But high above the mongrel herd,
Above the maddened Endor,
The mighty, shining cohorts gird
A throne of awful splendor,
And a seraph sternly writes a word
No language of earth can render.
Above the maddened Endor,
The mighty, shining cohorts gird
A throne of awful splendor,
And a seraph sternly writes a word
No language of earth can render.
76
The Brave.
The river hastens and glistens.
(Has destiny's stream a shore?)
The weary voyager listens,
And hears the cataract's roar.
(Has destiny's stream a shore?)
The weary voyager listens,
And hears the cataract's roar.
The foam is flashing and leaping,
But strongly he rows for life.
(Ah, who can think without weeping
Of many a hopeless strife?)
But strongly he rows for life.
(Ah, who can think without weeping
Of many a hopeless strife?)
The banks are luscious and glowing
With flowers and flowery breath;
The vines their fruitage are showing
To him who wrestles with death.
With flowers and flowery breath;
The vines their fruitage are showing
To him who wrestles with death.
The woodland carols and twitters
Bravuras from every limb;
The whole earth warbles and glitters
With gladness for all but him.
Bravuras from every limb;
The whole earth warbles and glitters
With gladness for all but him.
The paddles quiver—they shiver!
But nothing may shake a chief;
He yields his life to the river,
But conquers terror and grief.
But nothing may shake a chief;
He yields his life to the river,
But conquers terror and grief.
His robe around him he gathers,
Defying his howling grave,
And chants the dirge of his fathers,
And dies the death of a brave.
Defying his howling grave,
And chants the dirge of his fathers,
And dies the death of a brave.
77
So let me face the disaster
That ravens beneath my prow,
Affronting woe as a master
And plunging with changeless brow.
That ravens beneath my prow,
Affronting woe as a master
And plunging with changeless brow.
The Pilgrim.
Afar, above sorrow and peril,
He sees the Bright City unfold
Its walls of sardonyx and beryl,
Of chrysoprase, jacinth and gold,
Its galaxied turrets and portals,
Its glories that never grow dim,
While, crowning its splendor, immortals
Wave welcome, a welcome to him.
He sees the Bright City unfold
Its walls of sardonyx and beryl,
Of chrysoprase, jacinth and gold,
Its galaxied turrets and portals,
Its glories that never grow dim,
While, crowning its splendor, immortals
Wave welcome, a welcome to him.
Below him, he watches the regions
Of death and the shadow of death;
He hears the oncoming of legions
Who threaten with flamings for breath;
Behind them Hell luridly lightens,
The smoke of its torment ascends;
But calmly his armor he tightens
And swiftly to battle descends.
Of death and the shadow of death;
He hears the oncoming of legions
Who threaten with flamings for breath;
Behind them Hell luridly lightens,
The smoke of its torment ascends;
But calmly his armor he tightens
And swiftly to battle descends.
Thus doeth the valiant pure-hearted,
The lofty, the leader of men;
Thus vanquished the noble departed
Whose trophies remain to our ken;
They blenched not for labor or sorrow;
They charged, though Avernus might glow.
Then so let me meet my to-morrow,
Though bucklered and cuirassed with woe.
The lofty, the leader of men;
Thus vanquished the noble departed
Whose trophies remain to our ken;
They blenched not for labor or sorrow;
They charged, though Avernus might glow.
Then so let me meet my to-morrow,
Though bucklered and cuirassed with woe.
78
The Demon's Story.
Now hearken! derided the devil
(Buffoon of the powers of air);
I wearied of tempting the evil,
I wearied of vexing despair;
I hardly arrived for the revel;
I flew, but the mourning was there.
(Buffoon of the powers of air);
I wearied of tempting the evil,
I wearied of vexing despair;
I hardly arrived for the revel;
I flew, but the mourning was there.
Then cycle on cycle I waited
For one who was joyous and pure;
With mortals uncounted I mated,
Aye searching for happiness sure;
For innocence such as I hated,
To practice my torture or lure.
For one who was joyous and pure;
With mortals uncounted I mated,
Aye searching for happiness sure;
For innocence such as I hated,
To practice my torture or lure.
I found him, the raptured, the holy,
The man without trespass or tear;
His visage was loving and lowly,
His eyes beheld Paradise near;
But slowly his breathing fell; slowly
His riven heart reddened a spear.
The man without trespass or tear;
His visage was loving and lowly,
His eyes beheld Paradise near;
But slowly his breathing fell; slowly
His riven heart reddened a spear.
The Dark Comrade.
Through days of enigma and sorrow
(From doubt and dejection unscreened),
Through vigils that dreaded the morrow
(Ah, never a star intervened!),
I walked with the friend of my bosom,
And that friend was a mournful fiend.
(From doubt and dejection unscreened),
Through vigils that dreaded the morrow
(Ah, never a star intervened!),
I walked with the friend of my bosom,
And that friend was a mournful fiend.
79
For years we were pilgrims united;
Oh, strange were those otherworld years!
We darkled like goblins affrighted,
We whispered of perils and tears;
Yes, terrible friend of my bosom,
Thou sharedst my anguish and fears.
Oh, strange were those otherworld years!
We darkled like goblins affrighted,
We whispered of perils and tears;
Yes, terrible friend of my bosom,
Thou sharedst my anguish and fears.
Long since that companion departed;
I know not the wherefore nor when.
Henceforth I was humaner hearted,
And herded and labored with men;
Yet often, dark friend of my bosom,
I would change the Now for the Then.
I know not the wherefore nor when.
Henceforth I was humaner hearted,
And herded and labored with men;
Yet often, dark friend of my bosom,
I would change the Now for the Then.
Yea more! I would greet thee with gladness
And nevermore part from thy side;
Would follow thee, Shadow of madness,
Wherever thy moaning may guide;
Yea, follow thee, friend of my bosom,
Though seraphim beckon and chide.
And nevermore part from thy side;
Would follow thee, Shadow of madness,
Wherever thy moaning may guide;
Yea, follow thee, friend of my bosom,
Though seraphim beckon and chide.
Calenture.
She came; she was my father's child;
She bore my mother's guise.
She came; a cunning fiend beguiled;
They dazed each other's eyes.
The joy that on my bridal smiled
Fell swiftly from the skies.
She bore my mother's guise.
She came; a cunning fiend beguiled;
They dazed each other's eyes.
The joy that on my bridal smiled
Fell swiftly from the skies.
I heard them parting in the night;
Three hear's together bled
If ever woman pitied wight,
I pitied him who plead;
If ever maid won crown of light,
She won it well who fled.
Three hear's together bled
If ever woman pitied wight,
80
If ever maid won crown of light,
She won it well who fled.
But since, a darkness covers all,
The sun no more will shine;
Dim phantoms flit along the wall,
Low incantations whine;
Unearthly creatures weave a pall,
And whisper it is mine.
The sun no more will shine;
Dim phantoms flit along the wall,
Low incantations whine;
Unearthly creatures weave a pall,
And whisper it is mine.
The Plaything Sky.
Where do the children fly
When they are dreaming?
Straight to the Plaything Sky,
Soaring and beaming.
When they are dreaming?
Straight to the Plaything Sky,
Soaring and beaming.
Over the Wonder Sea
Sparkle the darlings,
Clapping their hands with glee,
Singing like starlings.
Sparkle the darlings,
Clapping their hands with glee,
Singing like starlings.
Wonderful lands appear,
Wonderful cities;
Wonderful talk they hear,
Wonderful ditties.
Wonderful cities;
Wonderful talk they hear,
Wonderful ditties.
Squirrels come out to them,
Butterflies sing to them,
Guinea-pigs shout to them,
Tulip-bells ring to them.
Butterflies sing to them,
Guinea-pigs shout to them,
Tulip-bells ring to them.
81
Hosts of tin soldier men
Wave their tin banners,
Candy-wigged aldermen
Make their wigged manners.
Wave their tin banners,
Candy-wigged aldermen
Make their wigged manners.
Gingerbread gentles whack
Gingerbread ponies;
Sugarstick ladies smack
Sugarstick cronies.
Gingerbread ponies;
Sugarstick ladies smack
Sugarstick cronies.
Sitting in royal state,
Counting her tea things,
Giggles the little-great
Queen of the playthings.
Counting her tea things,
Giggles the little-great
Queen of the playthings.
Manikin troopers stand
Round her wee palace;
Manikin maidens hand
Cream-pot and chalice.
Round her wee palace;
Manikin maidens hand
Cream-pot and chalice.
Wooden horns clamor out,
“Children are coming”;
Wooden drums hammer out
Welcome becoming.
“Children are coming”;
Wooden drums hammer out
Welcome becoming.
Down trips her majesty,
Smiling and kissing;
Roundabout busses she,
Not a child missing.
Smiling and kissing;
Roundabout busses she,
Not a child missing.
Then to her regal hall
Kindly she leads them;
Gives them her playthings all,
Aprons and feeds them.
Kindly she leads them;
Gives them her playthings all,
Aprons and feeds them.
82
Gaily the children play,
Chatter and simper;
Then, of a sudden, they
Wake up and whimper.
Chatter and simper;
Then, of a sudden, they
Wake up and whimper.
Where is the Plaything Queen?
Where are her treasures?
Gone to the Neverseen—
Gone, like earth's pleasures.
Where are her treasures?
Gone to the Neverseen—
Gone, like earth's pleasures.
The Fastidious Goblin.
There was an imp of Endor,
Eternities gone by,
Who saw the Lord of Splendor
Create his starry sky.
Eternities gone by,
Who saw the Lord of Splendor
Create his starry sky.
He saw the great suns stealing
From nothing and from night,
The worlds begin their wheeling,
The comets take their flight.
From nothing and from night,
The worlds begin their wheeling,
The comets take their flight.
The mighty, mingled forces
Suffused creation's frame;
Along the astral courses
Throbbed motion, heat and flame.
Suffused creation's frame;
Along the astral courses
Throbbed motion, heat and flame.
The galaxies went singing
Adown their wondrous ways;
The universe was ringing
With gladness and with praise.
Adown their wondrous ways;
The universe was ringing
With gladness and with praise.
83
Then boasted Master Goblin
He too would make a sphere,
And straight began his cobbling,
And wrought perchance a year.
He too would make a sphere,
And straight began his cobbling,
And wrought perchance a year.
But nothing could he fashion;
No world for him might be:
He lacked the godlike passion;
Creative love lacked he.
No world for him might be:
He lacked the godlike passion;
Creative love lacked he.
His work had neither motion,
Nor light, nor form, nor grace—
A wreck on being's ocean,
A blur on glory's face.
Nor light, nor form, nor grace—
A wreck on being's ocean,
A blur on glory's face.
So, seeing that no creature
Of his might thread the skies,
He throned himself as teacher,
And dared to criticise.
Of his might thread the skies,
He throned himself as teacher,
And dared to criticise.
He called the comets crazy,
The systems badly massed;
The Milky Way was hazy,
The suns were overcast.
The systems badly massed;
The Milky Way was hazy,
The suns were overcast.
The plan was accidental,
The start foretold the close,
The tone was sentimental,
The scenes lacked Greek repose.
The start foretold the close,
The tone was sentimental,
The scenes lacked Greek repose.
In nature all was lacking,
And lacking too in art;
A little wholesome hacking
Would better every part.
And lacking too in art;
A little wholesome hacking
Would better every part.
84
The motives should be fewer,
The aim more pure and high;
And any good reviewer
Could make a better sky.
The aim more pure and high;
And any good reviewer
Could make a better sky.
Or, if he praised, 'twas only
The dimmest of the host;
The great orbs shining lonely
Were those he flouted most.
The dimmest of the host;
The great orbs shining lonely
Were those he flouted most.
And, ever since, his mission
Has been to blame and sneer,
Consigning to perdition
The lights God holdeth dear;
Has been to blame and sneer,
Consigning to perdition
The lights God holdeth dear;
The first, the greatest critic,
The model of his kind,
The goblin analytic
Who hates creative mind.
The model of his kind,
The goblin analytic
Who hates creative mind.
The Old Knight and the Damozel.
I
I think these limbs are strong again,
These scanty locks are newly brown;
In thought I mount my steed amain
And ride afar for her renown.
These scanty locks are newly brown;
In thought I mount my steed amain
And ride afar for her renown.
In dusty lists, where trumpets blare,
I quell the dourest knights that live,
And crown her queen of beauty there,
And kiss the glove she bends to give.
I quell the dourest knights that live,
And crown her queen of beauty there,
And kiss the glove she bends to give.
85
I sail afar 'neath orient stars,
Climb terraced slopes of Palestine,
Shout Agnes through the helmet bars,
And break the Paynim's turbaned line.
Climb terraced slopes of Palestine,
Shout Agnes through the helmet bars,
And break the Paynim's turbaned line.
I carry slaughter through the tents,
I stain with blood the Kedron's tide;
I mount the holy battlements,
And aye for her I strike and ride.
I stain with blood the Kedron's tide;
I mount the holy battlements,
And aye for her I strike and ride.
Thou fair and noble Damozel,
Thy name shall be my battle-cry
In joust and storm and charging mell,
Wherever knight may do or die.
Thy name shall be my battle-cry
In joust and storm and charging mell,
Wherever knight may do or die.
II
He summoned archer, squire and steed,
He pledged anew his lordly wealth;
Then raised a golden cup of mead,
And, ere he mounted, drank her health.
He pledged anew his lordly wealth;
Then raised a golden cup of mead,
And, ere he mounted, drank her health.
Alas, O loving heart and pure!
The light is fading from his eyes;
And sighing, “Agnes, reine d'Amour!”
He drinks to her, but drinking dies.
The light is fading from his eyes;
And sighing, “Agnes, reine d'Amour!”
He drinks to her, but drinking dies.
And where was she?—In castle hall
She danced to pipe and dulcimer;
She knew not anything at all
Of him who dying drank to her.
She danced to pipe and dulcimer;
She knew not anything at all
Of him who dying drank to her.
86
III
In the Golden City.
The Old Knight:
O Lord, thou knowest what befell
That latest love thou grantedst me
While I was living. Was it well
To quench it as it 'gan to be?
The Lord:
'Twas well. No rosebud damozel
Can bloom aright on blighted tree;
And time it was for thee to see
The mansions where my good knights dwell.
The Old Knight:
I thank thee, Lord, I worship Thee;
Thy grace is more than tongue can tell.
But, one last favor, Lord! will she,
My love, betide to Heaven or Hell?
Chorus:
He loved a rosebud maiden,
The knight of silver hair;
And never a saint in Aidenn
Will seem to him so fair;
And, be it in Hell or Aidenn,
He hopes to find her there.
87
The Vanished Castle.
I tread the site of the castle
Where dwelt my fathers of yore;
The castle, the lords and the ladies
Have vanished forevermore.
Where dwelt my fathers of yore;
The castle, the lords and the ladies
Have vanished forevermore.
Yet the magian hour refashions
Moat, portcullis and hall,
Where phantoms grovel in donjon,
Or revel in blazoned wall;
Moat, portcullis and hall,
Where phantoms grovel in donjon,
Or revel in blazoned wall;
Where, clutching a dizzy turret,
A damozel kneels to pray,
Her wet eyes chasing a rider,
In armor, glinting away.
A damozel kneels to pray,
Her wet eyes chasing a rider,
In armor, glinting away.
Hubert and Hugh and Walter,
Agnes, Matilde, Isabeau,
They see me, they beckon—but sudden
They are whirled to the long-ago.
Agnes, Matilde, Isabeau,
They see me, they beckon—but sudden
They are whirled to the long-ago.
The villagers, gathering round me,
My name and race demand;
Then ask with a stare of terror,
“Comest thou back for the land?”
My name and race demand;
Then ask with a stare of terror,
“Comest thou back for the land?”
The query commingles the ages:—
Who am I, friends, but he
Hubertus, the old crusader
Who fell by the Tyrian sea?
Who am I, friends, but he
Hubertus, the old crusader
Who fell by the Tyrian sea?
88
Niffer.
I delve in the temple of Niffer,
The town that Oannes planned
Ages ere Babylon lifted
Her towers in Nebo's land.
The town that Oannes planned
Ages ere Babylon lifted
Her towers in Nebo's land.
The levels of Accad and Shinar
Around me glimmer and steam;
And I swoon in the quivering slumber
Of fever; and madly I dream.
Around me glimmer and steam;
And I swoon in the quivering slumber
Of fever; and madly I dream.
O copperhued spademen of Accad,
Why do you bellow for gold?
Backsheesh is the cry of the living;
And you went to Sheol of old.
Why do you bellow for gold?
Backsheesh is the cry of the living;
And you went to Sheol of old.
A myriad moons before Nimrod
You tickled these plains with the hoe,
You walled and turreted Niffer,
You routed the Kings of the Bow.
You tickled these plains with the hoe,
You walled and turreted Niffer,
You routed the Kings of the Bow.
But now you are dead as Merodach,
And I am as dead as you;
So let us shovel, O brothers,
To bury each other anew.
And I am as dead as you;
So let us shovel, O brothers,
To bury each other anew.
89
The Old-Time People.
I cruised with Sindbad the Sailor
When this old world was new;
We entered ship at Bassora
And down the Tigris flew.
When this old world was new;
We entered ship at Bassora
And down the Tigris flew.
We traversed the Gulf of Ormus,
Where chanting Peris roam,
And Mermen abide in cities
Beneath the whispering foam.
Where chanting Peris roam,
And Mermen abide in cities
Beneath the whispering foam.
We coasted the shore of spices,
The incense-breathing capes;
And we reached the marvellous island
Where dwell the Manlike Apes.
The incense-breathing capes;
And we reached the marvellous island
Where dwell the Manlike Apes.
But what those Eldermen told me
I never dared rehearse,
Lest mollah and mufti and softa
Should clench their fists and curse.
I never dared rehearse,
Lest mollah and mufti and softa
Should clench their fists and curse.
Lochinvar in the South.
Oh, young Lochinvar is around in the South!
He has plenty of muscle and plenty of mouth;
Through all the Tar Country his gun is the best,
And his knife is plumb ready inside of his vest.
He has plenty of muscle and plenty of mouth;
Through all the Tar Country his gun is the best,
And his knife is plumb ready inside of his vest.
He rides a grey courser of Messenger breed;
The turpentine forest resounds to his speed;
He minds not the painter's cantankerous squeals,
And the moccasins waggle in vain at his heels.
The turpentine forest resounds to his speed;
He minds not the painter's cantankerous squeals,
And the moccasins waggle in vain at his heels.
90
There's a castle of joyance on Wilmington Bay
Where lovers and ladies dance night into day;
Each gent at that shindig is valiant and tall,
And rifles by dozens stand loaded in hall.
Where lovers and ladies dance night into day;
Each gent at that shindig is valiant and tall,
And rifles by dozens stand loaded in hall.
But young Lochinvar romps up to the gate,
Unheeding of aught but of being too late;
He kicks the hounds outen, wades into the swim,
And scowls at those suitors, all scowling at him.
Unheeding of aught but of being too late;
He kicks the hounds outen, wades into the swim,
And scowls at those suitors, all scowling at him.
“I've nothing 'gainst you 'uns,” says young Lochinvar;
“Just hold up your flippers and stand as you are;
There's a lady I want here, a tailor-made dame,
And Imogen Bill is her idolized name.”
“Just hold up your flippers and stand as you are;
There's a lady I want here, a tailor-made dame,
And Imogen Bill is her idolized name.”
He pranced through the revel, he swarmed for that girl,
He gave her a cinch and he gave her a whirl.
She gurgled a gasp, but she couldn't gasp “No”;
And right down the middle they waltzed for the “do'.”
He gave her a cinch and he gave her a whirl.
She gurgled a gasp, but she couldn't gasp “No”;
And right down the middle they waltzed for the “do'.”
There was mounting in haste among Wilmington squires;
A mile in a minute they scored on their flyers;
They hummed over level and valley and hill,
But they found not a symptom of Imogen Bill.
A mile in a minute they scored on their flyers;
They hummed over level and valley and hill,
But they found not a symptom of Imogen Bill.
Beside the French Broad, there's a palace of logs,
Surrounded by mashes and furnished with dogs,
Where Lochinvar sits on a catamount's hide,
And watches for rivals, and watches his bride.
Surrounded by mashes and furnished with dogs,
Where Lochinvar sits on a catamount's hide,
And watches for rivals, and watches his bride.
91
With deerkiller ready and courser and whip,
He watches her constant for fear she may skip;
He watches Carliny from mountain to shore;
And Imogen needs all his watching, and more.
He watches her constant for fear she may skip;
He watches Carliny from mountain to shore;
And Imogen needs all his watching, and more.
Judge Boodle.
A congressman Judge Boodle was,
A cunning chief in caucus,
Unversed in statesmanship and laws,
But able to out-talk us.
A cunning chief in caucus,
Unversed in statesmanship and laws,
But able to out-talk us.
To Boodle came a lady fair,
In rich and radiant raiment,
Whose coaxing smile and lovelorn air
Betokened her a claimant.
In rich and radiant raiment,
Whose coaxing smile and lovelorn air
Betokened her a claimant.
“My name,” she sighed, “is Edith Jane
Van Tromp de Duval Bates, sir;
And I am of the noblest strain
In these United States, sir.
Van Tromp de Duval Bates, sir;
And I am of the noblest strain
In these United States, sir.
“My father's sires in days of old
Led armies forth to battle;
My mother's kin had stores of gold
And lands and countless cattle.
Led armies forth to battle;
My mother's kin had stores of gold
And lands and countless cattle.
“But cruel Time brought dark reverse.
Alas! the sad confession!
A claim against Columbia's purse
Is now my sole possession.
Alas! the sad confession!
A claim against Columbia's purse
Is now my sole possession.
92
“To battle rode George Washington
Upon my grandsire's courser,
And when the victory was won
The courser was no more, sir.
Upon my grandsire's courser,
And when the victory was won
The courser was no more, sir.
“That faithful steed had borne our race
In saddle, chaise and pillion;
My father never saw his face,
But called him worth a million.
In saddle, chaise and pillion;
My father never saw his face,
But called him worth a million.
“And now, my gracious friend, display
The skill you oft have shown us;
Bring in a noble claim, and pay
Your labors with a bonus.
The skill you oft have shown us;
Bring in a noble claim, and pay
Your labors with a bonus.
“Nor will I promise pelf alone;
This heart—my courage falters—
A woman's grateful heart shall throne
Your image on its altars.”
This heart—my courage falters—
A woman's grateful heart shall throne
Your image on its altars.”
John Boodle shed a manly tear
To see that lady's sorrow;
Then squeezed her hand, and said, “My dear,
I'll mount that horse to-morrow.
To see that lady's sorrow;
Then squeezed her hand, and said, “My dear,
I'll mount that horse to-morrow.
“I know my fellow congressmen
Will back a righteous measure;
And now, my Edith Jane,—or then,—
Be thou my life-long treasure.”
Will back a righteous measure;
And now, my Edith Jane,—or then,—
Be thou my life-long treasure.”
She chided not, nor drew aside,
But leaned her drooping tresses
Against his heaving heart, and sighed,
“I'll pay you in caresses.”
But leaned her drooping tresses
Against his heaving heart, and sighed,
“I'll pay you in caresses.”
93
So Boodle every wire did pull,
Rolled logs with all creation,
And piped our glorious Capitol
To push his legislation.
Rolled logs with all creation,
And piped our glorious Capitol
To push his legislation.
Another tax! another loan!
The syndicates made honey;
The people drained out, groan by groan,
John Boodle's darling's money.
The syndicates made honey;
The people drained out, groan by groan,
John Boodle's darling's money.
Then Edith Jane de Duval Bates
Invited to her wedding
The lobbyists of all the states
That paid her plate and bedding.
Invited to her wedding
The lobbyists of all the states
That paid her plate and bedding.
They came and bowed; the nuptial knot
Was tied; the time went cheery;
And not a knave or fool or sot
But envied John his deary.
Was tied; the time went cheery;
And not a knave or fool or sot
But envied John his deary.
Till midnight, revel swelled apace;
Till midnight, danced the lady.
But when the clock struck twelve, her face
Fell strangely weird and shady.
Till midnight, danced the lady.
But when the clock struck twelve, her face
Fell strangely weird and shady.
“Away! away!” she wildly cried.
“No need of wedding coaches!
One beast will carry groom and bride;
And swiftly he approaches.”
“No need of wedding coaches!
One beast will carry groom and bride;
And swiftly he approaches.”
Then galloped creaking to the door
That steed of legislation
Who nobly died in days of yore
To rise and munch the nation.
That steed of legislation
Who nobly died in days of yore
To rise and munch the nation.
94
John Boodle scarcely caught his breath,
And pallid turned all faces,
To see that grinning horse of death
Curvet and show his paces.
And pallid turned all faces,
To see that grinning horse of death
Curvet and show his paces.
The lady clapped an iron grip
Upon the bridegroom, saying,
“Away! begin your wedding trip!
The crisis grants no staying.”
Upon the bridegroom, saying,
“Away! begin your wedding trip!
The crisis grants no staying.”
Oh, gladly had the Judge delayed
Another hour! till supper!
She mounted, beckoned; he obeyed,
And scrambled to the crupper.
Another hour! till supper!
She mounted, beckoned; he obeyed,
And scrambled to the crupper.
One arm around his wife he threw,
Much longing for a saddle;
And then away, away, they flew
As fast as Hell could straddle.
Much longing for a saddle;
And then away, away, they flew
As fast as Hell could straddle.
The bridal feasters howled with fright,
The bridegroom bellowed louder;
But naught availed; adown the night
He darted, quick as powder.
The bridegroom bellowed louder;
But naught availed; adown the night
He darted, quick as powder.
He clutched his frightful charger's bones
To save himself from falling,
And rode with many twists and groans,
For fearful was the mauling.
To save himself from falling,
And rode with many twists and groans,
For fearful was the mauling.
Between the yellow ribs, the air
Sucked rawly with a whistle;
He looked behind, no tail was there
Except a point of gristle.
Sucked rawly with a whistle;
He looked behind, no tail was there
Except a point of gristle.
95
Grim riders joined them, fearful things,
Bent warlocks, withered witches,
Some scaling high on wilted wings,
Some shooting low on switches.
Bent warlocks, withered witches,
Some scaling high on wilted wings,
Some shooting low on switches.
“Hurrah! hurrah!” the wizards bawled;
“Judge Boodle leads the rabble.”
“Push on! push on!” the witches squalled;
“What fun to see him scrabble!”
“Judge Boodle leads the rabble.”
“Push on! push on!” the witches squalled;
“What fun to see him scrabble!”
At last, afar, yet drawing nigh,
He spied that monstrous scorcher,
The lake of Eblis burning high,
The red abyss of torture.
He spied that monstrous scorcher,
The lake of Eblis burning high,
The red abyss of torture.
He strove to coax, he strove to chide,
He clamored hoarse and hoarser;
But nothing recked his fearful bride,
And nothing checked his courser.
He clamored hoarse and hoarser;
But nothing recked his fearful bride,
And nothing checked his courser.
The steed became a shooting star,
The wife became a devil;
And on they sped, the swiftest far
Of all the hell-bound revel.
The wife became a devil;
And on they sped, the swiftest far
Of all the hell-bound revel.
He reached the lake, and leaped, and lit,
A flashing, ashing ember!
No more in Washington may sit
And spout and steal our member.
A flashing, ashing ember!
No more in Washington may sit
And spout and steal our member.
96
The Cannibal Conquest.
The king of the Cannibal Islands
Decided to conquer some drylands;
So he marched over valleys and highlands
With twenty-four cannibal braves;
With two dozen man-eating knaves,
All hungry as so many graves,
He skirmished through earthlands and skylands,
Defiant of weather and waves.
Decided to conquer some drylands;
So he marched over valleys and highlands
With twenty-four cannibal braves;
With two dozen man-eating knaves,
All hungry as so many graves,
He skirmished through earthlands and skylands,
Defiant of weather and waves.
He came to Atlantis the Holy
Whose burghers were lamblike and lowly,
Though growing a touch roly-poly
And languid in fasting and prayers.
They fasted while sleeping, like bears,
And prayed without leaving their chairs,
And walked in the narrow way slowly,
Much cumbered with Beelzebub's wares.
Whose burghers were lamblike and lowly,
Though growing a touch roly-poly
And languid in fasting and prayers.
They fasted while sleeping, like bears,
And prayed without leaving their chairs,
And walked in the narrow way slowly,
Much cumbered with Beelzebub's wares.
Then followed a wonderful battle;
Good lack, how the cannons did rattle!
The women, the children, the cattle
Took part in the desperate strife.
They carried the war to the knife;
With slaughter Atlantis was rife;
About it the muses will prattle
While Jupiter granteth them life.
Good lack, how the cannons did rattle!
The women, the children, the cattle
Took part in the desperate strife.
They carried the war to the knife;
With slaughter Atlantis was rife;
About it the muses will prattle
While Jupiter granteth them life.
The Cannibals came out the winners,
They made twenty-five hearty dinners,
They gobbled the saints and the sinners,
And put all Atlantis to sack.
They spared neither yellow nor black,
The hungriest, greediest pack
Of robbers and pickers and skinners
That ever sent region to rack.
They made twenty-five hearty dinners,
They gobbled the saints and the sinners,
And put all Atlantis to sack.
97
The hungriest, greediest pack
Of robbers and pickers and skinners
That ever sent region to rack.
Henceforth they were chiefs of the nation
And lived by relief legislation;
They served up a bill for collation
And fattened a law like a beast.
Their appetites daily increased;
A lunch was a patent, at least,
While railroads and steam-navigation
Scarce furnished the joints for a feast.
And lived by relief legislation;
They served up a bill for collation
And fattened a law like a beast.
Their appetites daily increased;
A lunch was a patent, at least,
While railroads and steam-navigation
Scarce furnished the joints for a feast.
| Poems : medley and Palestina | |