Stones from The Quarry or, Moods of Mind. By Henry Browne [i.e. Henry Ellison] |
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BRICK AND MORTAR HUMANITY. |
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 | Stones from The Quarry |  |
50
BRICK AND MORTAR HUMANITY.
In cities warped, behind so many screens,
So many blinds drawn down on light direct,
So much between the first cause and the effect;
Age premature and Youth without its teens;
False tastes, perverted appetites, ill spleens,
Whims, humours, likes, dislikes, dainty respect
And over-nice regard, we scarce detect
Great Nature when we meet, or what she means
Rightly interpret. So much comes between
Eye, ear, taste, touch (sophisticated all),
And her wise teaching; so well doth Art wean,
Her mother milk tastes now scarce natural.
Our life must be dressed up like a stage-scene,
And Nature, drugged, into hysterics fall.
So many blinds drawn down on light direct,
So much between the first cause and the effect;
Age premature and Youth without its teens;
False tastes, perverted appetites, ill spleens,
Whims, humours, likes, dislikes, dainty respect
And over-nice regard, we scarce detect
Great Nature when we meet, or what she means
Rightly interpret. So much comes between
Eye, ear, taste, touch (sophisticated all),
And her wise teaching; so well doth Art wean,
Her mother milk tastes now scarce natural.
Our life must be dressed up like a stage-scene,
And Nature, drugged, into hysterics fall.
Kind Nature points her finger, with “Beware!”
Besotted man scarce heeds. The cat, more wise,
Tho' with him too sophisticated, tries
The milk; it tastes ill, seeming fair;
And, mindful of the adage, lets “I dare
Not” wait upon “I would;” but human lies
And greed, like spells at which ill spirits rise,
Poisoning for gain food, water, dwellings, air,
Man winks at, and in turn doth victim fall;
One member suffers with another still;
The curse in some shape touches, reaches all,
Working to soul and body two-edged ill:
Self-degradation, baseness, mutual gall,
Distrust, life's unbought grace to taint and kill.
Besotted man scarce heeds. The cat, more wise,
Tho' with him too sophisticated, tries
The milk; it tastes ill, seeming fair;
And, mindful of the adage, lets “I dare
Not” wait upon “I would;” but human lies
And greed, like spells at which ill spirits rise,
Poisoning for gain food, water, dwellings, air,
Man winks at, and in turn doth victim fall;
One member suffers with another still;
The curse in some shape touches, reaches all,
Working to soul and body two-edged ill:
Self-degradation, baseness, mutual gall,
Distrust, life's unbought grace to taint and kill.
| Stones from The Quarry | |