[To George Sterling, in] A day in the hills a poetical competition of the Edwin Markham chapter of The English Poetry Society held at Villa Montalvo, Saratoga, Santa Clara County, California, September 18, 1926 |
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 | [To George Sterling, in] A day in the hills |  |
53
To George Sterling
“The Angel Israfeel, whose heart-strings are a lute, and who has the sweetest voice of all God's creatures.”
SPIRIT of fire and dew
Embodied anew.
Embodied anew.
Vital and virile thy blood—
Thy body a flagon of wine
Almost divine:
Thou art a faun o' the wood,
A sprite o' the flood,
Not of the world understood.
Thy body a flagon of wine
Almost divine:
Thou art a faun o' the wood,
A sprite o' the flood,
Not of the world understood.
Voice that is heard from afar,
Voice of the soul of a star.
Voice of the soul of a star.
From thy cloud in the azure above
'Tis thy song that awakeneth love—
Love that invites and awe that retards—
Blessèd art thou among bards!
'Tis thy song that awakeneth love—
Love that invites and awe that retards—
Blessèd art thou among bards!
My astral is there where thou art,
Soul of my soul, heart of my heart!
Soul of my soul, heart of my heart!
Thou in whose sight I am mute,
In whose song I rejoice;
And even as echo fain would I voice
With timbrel and tabor and flute,
With viol and lute;
Something of worth in thy praise—
Delight of my days—
But may not for lack of thy skill,
For the deed take the will.
In whose song I rejoice;
And even as echo fain would I voice
54
With viol and lute;
Something of worth in thy praise—
Delight of my days—
But may not for lack of thy skill,
For the deed take the will.
Unworthy, ill done, incomplete,
This scroll at thy feet.
This scroll at thy feet.
| [To George Sterling, in] A day in the hills | |