 | The Writings of Bret Harte |  |
200
SAN FRANCISCO
(FROM THE SEA)
Serene, indifferent of Fate,
Thou sittest at the Western Gate;
Thou sittest at the Western Gate;
Upon thy height, so lately won,
Still slant the banners of the sun;
Still slant the banners of the sun;
Thou seest the white seas strike their tents,
O Warder of two continents!
O Warder of two continents!
And, scornful of the peace that flies
Thy angry winds and sullen skies,
Thy angry winds and sullen skies,
Thou drawest all things, small or great,
To thee, beside the Western Gate.
To thee, beside the Western Gate.
[OMITTED]
O lion's whelp, that hidest fast
In jungle growth of spire and mast!
In jungle growth of spire and mast!
I know thy cunning and thy greed,
Thy hard high lust and willful deed,
Thy hard high lust and willful deed,
And all thy glory loves to tell
Of specious gifts material.
Of specious gifts material.
Drop down, O Fleecy Fog, and hide
Her skeptic sneer and all her pride!
Her skeptic sneer and all her pride!
201
Wrap her, O Fog, in gown and hood
Of her Franciscan Brotherhood.
Of her Franciscan Brotherhood.
Hide me her faults, her sin and blame;
With thy gray mantle cloak her shame!
With thy gray mantle cloak her shame!
So shall she, cowlèd, sit and pray
Till morning bears her sins away.
Till morning bears her sins away.
Then rise, O Fleecy Fog, and raise
The glory of her coming days;
The glory of her coming days;
Be as the cloud that flecks the seas
Above her smoky argosies;
Above her smoky argosies;
When forms familiar shall give place
To stranger speech and newer face;
To stranger speech and newer face;
When all her throes and anxious fears
Lie hushed in the repose of years;
Lie hushed in the repose of years;
When Art shall raise and Culture lift
The sensual joys and meaner thrift,
The sensual joys and meaner thrift,
And all fulfilled the vision we
Who watch and wait shall never see;
Who watch and wait shall never see;
Who, in the morning of her race,
Toiled fair or meanly in our place,
Toiled fair or meanly in our place,
But, yielding to the common lot,
Lie unrecorded and forgot.
Lie unrecorded and forgot.
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