 | The candle in the cabin |  |
88
BEHIND SUN-MOUNTAIN
The Forest-Ranger's Honeymoon
We climbed to the glacier beyond the trail,
Beyond the flowers and the shale and the woods.
We built a campfire there in the rain
Of three old roots, broken to punk,
And our discarded goods.
The campfire burned against the fog,
Against the ice and the rain and snow,
And we asked what the wise in glaciers ought to know.
Beyond the flowers and the shale and the woods.
We built a campfire there in the rain
Of three old roots, broken to punk,
And our discarded goods.
The campfire burned against the fog,
Against the ice and the rain and snow,
And we asked what the wise in glaciers ought to know.
Then on we climbed, and down we climbed,
And built a better fire,
In the night, in the rain, in the fog and snow,
And watched the long night go,
Dry and warm by a glorious furious fire.
At midnight, for an hour, the sky
Was clear as a crystal pool,
Every star in its place,
Each mountain stood in its place
And spelled its name
In the happy midnight hieroglyphic school.
But soon the fog came down again,
Soon to renew the trial.
The great fire dried the rain in the fog,
And dried our shoes and our coats with a smile,
And there we slept awhile.
And built a better fire,
In the night, in the rain, in the fog and snow,
And watched the long night go,
Dry and warm by a glorious furious fire.
At midnight, for an hour, the sky
Was clear as a crystal pool,
Every star in its place,
Each mountain stood in its place
And spelled its name
In the happy midnight hieroglyphic school.
But soon the fog came down again,
Soon to renew the trial.
The great fire dried the rain in the fog,
And dried our shoes and our coats with a smile,
And there we slept awhile.
| The candle in the cabin | |