Joaquin Miller's Poems [in six volumes] |
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| 6. | VI |
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 | Joaquin Miller's Poems |  |
20
VI
And they, too, came, came as a blast
Of twisting March winds, gust on gust,
Whirl red leaves, dead leaves, ashes, dust—
A cyclone scarce could sweep so fast.
Scant time to choose a friendly tree,
Scarce time to drop a bended knee,
To catch quick carbine to its place
And fall hard fighting, face to face.
Of twisting March winds, gust on gust,
Whirl red leaves, dead leaves, ashes, dust—
A cyclone scarce could sweep so fast.
Scant time to choose a friendly tree,
Scarce time to drop a bended knee,
To catch quick carbine to its place
And fall hard fighting, face to face.
Was ever such hot place of death!
Scarce room was there to draw full breath:
Red vines climbed up, green boughs hung down,
Red-pepsin, green-leaved rubber-tree,
Black banyan in black density!
I dared a precious second's pause
To choose my tree: I chose because
Great ivy vines climbed high, climbed higher
All crimson to its very crown—
Elijah's chariot of fire!
Scarce room was there to draw full breath:
Red vines climbed up, green boughs hung down,
Red-pepsin, green-leaved rubber-tree,
Black banyan in black density!
I dared a precious second's pause
To choose my tree: I chose because
Great ivy vines climbed high, climbed higher
All crimson to its very crown—
Elijah's chariot of fire!
| Joaquin Miller's Poems | |