 | The collected works of Ambrose Bierce |  |
330
THE MAN BORN BLIND
A man born blind received his sight
By a painful operation;
And these are things he saw in the light
Of an infant observation.
By a painful operation;
And these are things he saw in the light
Of an infant observation.
He saw a merchant, good and wise
And greatly, too, respected,
Who looked, to those imperfect eyes,
Like a swindler undetected.
And greatly, too, respected,
Who looked, to those imperfect eyes,
Like a swindler undetected.
He saw a patriot address
A noisy public meeting.
He said: “Why, that's a calf, I guess,
That for the teat is bleating.”
A noisy public meeting.
He said: “Why, that's a calf, I guess,
That for the teat is bleating.”
A doctor stood beside a bed
And shook his summit sadly.
“O see that foul assassin!” said
The man that saw so badly.
And shook his summit sadly.
“O see that foul assassin!” said
The man that saw so badly.
He saw a lawyer pleading for
A thief whom they'd been jailing,
And said: “That's an accomplice or
My sight again is failing.”
A thief whom they'd been jailing,
And said: “That's an accomplice or
My sight again is failing.”
331
Upon the Bench a Justice sat,
With nothing to restrain him;
“'Tis strange,” said the observer, “that
They ventured to unchain him.”
With nothing to restrain him;
“'Tis strange,” said the observer, “that
They ventured to unchain him.”
With theologic works supplied,
There was a solemn preacher;
“A burglar with his kit,” he cried,
“To rob a fellow creature.”
There was a solemn preacher;
“A burglar with his kit,” he cried,
“To rob a fellow creature.”
A bluff old farmer next he saw
Sell produce in a village,
And said: “What, what! is there no law
To punish men for pillage?”
Sell produce in a village,
And said: “What, what! is there no law
To punish men for pillage?”
A dame, tall, fair and stately, passed,
Who many charms united;
He thanked his stars his lot was cast
Where sepulchers were whited.
Who many charms united;
He thanked his stars his lot was cast
Where sepulchers were whited.
He saw a soldier stiff and stern,
“Full of strange oaths” and toddy,
But was unable to discern
A wound upon his body.
“Full of strange oaths” and toddy,
But was unable to discern
A wound upon his body.
Ten square leagues of rolling ground
To one great man belonging,
Looked like one little grassy mound
With worms beneath it thronging.
To one great man belonging,
332
With worms beneath it thronging.
A palace's well carven stones,
Where Dives dwelt contented,
Seemed built throughout of human bones
With human blood cemented.
Where Dives dwelt contented,
Seemed built throughout of human bones
With human blood cemented.
He watched the shining yellow thread
A silk-worm was a-spinning;
“That creature's coining gold,” he said,
“To pay some girl for sinning.”
A silk-worm was a-spinning;
“That creature's coining gold,” he said,
“To pay some girl for sinning.”
His eyes were so untrained and dim
All politics, religions,
Arts, sciences, appeared to him
But modes of plucking pigeons.
All politics, religions,
Arts, sciences, appeared to him
But modes of plucking pigeons.
And as he drew his final breath,
He thought he saw with sorrow
Some persons weeping for his death
Who'd be all smiles to-morrow.
He thought he saw with sorrow
Some persons weeping for his death
Who'd be all smiles to-morrow.
| The collected works of Ambrose Bierce | |