 | Later Poems |  |
44
Death and Life
None may know the reason why
All our earth-time, you and I,
Must be strangers utterly.
All our earth-time, you and I,
Must be strangers utterly.
Slow or fast the earth-time wends,
And the due probation ends;
Then comes Life to make amends.
And the due probation ends;
Then comes Life to make amends.
Once we thought that Life was come
Quickening what was fallen numb.
Death stood there, and smote us dumb.
Quickening what was fallen numb.
Death stood there, and smote us dumb.
O'er the mountain-peaks, that even,
Leapt the sudden rose-red levin,
From the mighty-clouded heaven.
Leapt the sudden rose-red levin,
From the mighty-clouded heaven.
Shelter for a moment known:
Then a roof, with sudden groan,
Fell, and smote us twain to one.
Then a roof, with sudden groan,
Fell, and smote us twain to one.
All we saw was one quick flame:
Then the crash and darkness came;
Light and darkness all the same.
Then the crash and darkness came;
Light and darkness all the same.
All we knew was one great light,
In the rapture of the night;
Earth and earth's evanished quite.
In the rapture of the night;
Earth and earth's evanished quite.
45
Now at last we two might swerve
From our passion-wrought reserve;
Dominated, heart and nerve,
From our passion-wrought reserve;
Dominated, heart and nerve,
By remorseless ecstasy;
For we thought we were to die
There together, you and I.
For we thought we were to die
There together, you and I.
Brave and true, and brave and true,
Struggle o'er for me and you,
Now our happy spirits knew.
Struggle o'er for me and you,
Now our happy spirits knew.
Death was there, sweet death who had
All Love's glory unveiled, unclad;
We beheld it and were glad.
All Love's glory unveiled, unclad;
We beheld it and were glad.
It was death, dear death and blest,
Lovely death whose hand had prest
Mouth to mouth and breast to breast.
Lovely death whose hand had prest
Mouth to mouth and breast to breast.
Saved! one cried! We spoke not, we:
All our knowledge, verily,
Death was gone from you and me.
All our knowledge, verily,
Death was gone from you and me.
Emptied cup that full did brim:
Sunlit peaks all gray and dim:
Death was gone, and Life with him.
Sunlit peaks all gray and dim:
Death was gone, and Life with him.
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