 | The poetical works of Edmund Clarence Stedman |  |
40
THE ORDEAL BY FIRE.
To many a one there comes a day
So black with maledictions, they
Hide every earthly hope away.
So black with maledictions, they
Hide every earthly hope away.
In earlier woes the sufferer bore,
Consolement entered at his door,
And raised him gently from the floor.
Consolement entered at his door,
And raised him gently from the floor.
To this great anguish, newly come,
All former sorrows, in their sum,
Were but a faint exordium.
All former sorrows, in their sum,
Were but a faint exordium.
41
His days and nights are full of groans;
Sorely, and with a thousand moans,
For many wanderings he atones.
Sorely, and with a thousand moans,
For many wanderings he atones.
Old errors, vanquished for a space,
Rise up to smite him in the face
And threaten him with new disgrace.
Rise up to smite him in the face
And threaten him with new disgrace.
And others, shadows of the first,
From slanderous charnel-houses burst,
Pursuing, cry, Thou art accurst!
From slanderous charnel-houses burst,
Pursuing, cry, Thou art accurst!
Dear, feeble voices ask for bread;
The dross, for which he bowed his head
So long, has taken wings and fled.
The dross, for which he bowed his head
So long, has taken wings and fled.
The strong resources of his health
Have softly slipt away by stealth:
No future toil may bring him wealth.
Have softly slipt away by stealth:
No future toil may bring him wealth.
Dreading the shadow of his shame,
False friends, who with the sunshine came,
Forego the mention of his name.
False friends, who with the sunshine came,
Forego the mention of his name.
Thus on a fiery altar tost,
The harvests of his life are lost
In one consuming holocaust.
The harvests of his life are lost
In one consuming holocaust.
What can he, but to beat the air,
And, from the depth of his despair,
Cry “Is there respite anywhere?
And, from the depth of his despair,
Cry “Is there respite anywhere?
“Is Life but Death? Is God unjust
Shall all the castle of my trust
Dissolve, and crumble into dust?”
Shall all the castle of my trust
Dissolve, and crumble into dust?”
42
There are, who, with a wild desire
For slumber, blinded by the fire,
Sink in its ashes and expire.
For slumber, blinded by the fire,
Sink in its ashes and expire.
God pity them! too harsh a test
Has made them falter; sore distrest,
They barter everything for rest.
Has made them falter; sore distrest,
They barter everything for rest.
But many, of a sterner mould,
Themselves within themselves infold,
Even make Death unloose his hold,
Themselves within themselves infold,
Even make Death unloose his hold,
Athough it were a grateful thing
To drain the cup his heralds bring,
And yield them to his ransoming;
To drain the cup his heralds bring,
And yield them to his ransoming;
To quaff the calm, Lethean wave,—
In passionless tenure of the grave
Forgetting all they could not save.
In passionless tenure of the grave
Forgetting all they could not save.
What angels hold them up, among
The ruins of their lives, so long?
What visions make their spirits strong?
The ruins of their lives, so long?
What visions make their spirits strong?
In sackcloth, at the outer gate,
They chant the burden of their fate,
Yet are not wholly desolate.
They chant the burden of their fate,
Yet are not wholly desolate.
A blessed ray from darkness won
It may be, even, to know the sun
Hath distant lands he shines upon;
It may be, even, to know the sun
Hath distant lands he shines upon;
It may be that they deem it vile
For one to mount his funeral pile,
Because the heavens cease to smile;
For one to mount his funeral pile,
Because the heavens cease to smile;
43
That scorn of cowardice holds fast,
Lighting the forehead to the last,
Though all of bravery's hopes are past.
Lighting the forehead to the last,
Though all of bravery's hopes are past.
Perchance the sequence of an art
Leads to a refuge for the heart,—
A sanctuary far apart.
Leads to a refuge for the heart,—
A sanctuary far apart.
It may be that, in dearest eyes,
They see the light of azure skies,
And keep their faith in Paradise.
They see the light of azure skies,
And keep their faith in Paradise.
Thou, who dost feel Life's vessel strand
Full-length upon the shifting sand,
And hearest breakers close at hand,
Full-length upon the shifting sand,
And hearest breakers close at hand,
Be strong and wait! nor let the strife,
With which the winds and waves are rife,
Disturb that sacred inner life.
With which the winds and waves are rife,
Disturb that sacred inner life.
Anon thou shalt regain the shore,
And walk—though naked, maimed, and sore—
A nobler being than before!
And walk—though naked, maimed, and sore—
A nobler being than before!
No lesser griefs shall work thee ill;
No malice shall have power to kill:
Of woe thy soul has drunk its fill.
No malice shall have power to kill:
Of woe thy soul has drunk its fill.
Tempests, that beat us to the clay,
Drive many a lowering cloud away,
And bring a clearer, holier day.
Drive many a lowering cloud away,
And bring a clearer, holier day.
The fire, that every hope consumes,
Either the inmost soul entombs
Or evermore the face illumes!
Either the inmost soul entombs
Or evermore the face illumes!
44
Robes of asbestos do we wear;
Before the memories we bear,
The flames leap backward everywhere.
Before the memories we bear,
The flames leap backward everywhere.
| The poetical works of Edmund Clarence Stedman | |