 | The Literary Works of James Smetham |  |
283
THE ROTIFER
When, out in midnight's huge expanse,
Our gazing orbits stop
On galaxies in braided dance—
The Sea becomes a drop.
Our gazing orbits stop
On galaxies in braided dance—
The Sea becomes a drop.
But when, to microscopic ken,
Life's lessening gulfs lie free,
The inverted wonder turns, and then
The drop becomes a Sea!
Life's lessening gulfs lie free,
The inverted wonder turns, and then
The drop becomes a Sea!
And look! the tideless, shoreless deep,
Translucent to the eye,
Is charged with vital shapes that keep
All forms of monarchy.
Translucent to the eye,
Is charged with vital shapes that keep
All forms of monarchy.
Behemoth of the small abyss,
With ribs of glass-like steel—
The force which makes the kingdom his,
Turns his colossal wheel.
With ribs of glass-like steel—
The force which makes the kingdom his,
Turns his colossal wheel.
And down a shining vortex slide
His helpless myriad prey,
Who gathered life from depths that hide,
Where none could search but they.
His helpless myriad prey,
Who gathered life from depths that hide,
Where none could search but they.
And yet, who knows? even there the scale
Of downward life begins,
Where less leviathans prevail,
And lesser prey-wheel spins.
Of downward life begins,
Where less leviathans prevail,
And lesser prey-wheel spins.
284
O what is great and what is small,
And what the solemn bound
Of great and little, where the all,
The last of life is found?
And what the solemn bound
Of great and little, where the all,
The last of life is found?
To Thee, the ONE—the Infinite—
Is neither large nor less—
Where thundering sun-stars sweep and light
The chasms of nothingness.
Is neither large nor less—
Where thundering sun-stars sweep and light
The chasms of nothingness.
Or where, enclosed in globe on globe,
The lessening less descends,
Majestic Being drops her robe,
And Life's last throbbing ends.
The lessening less descends,
Majestic Being drops her robe,
And Life's last throbbing ends.
Great God! whose day's a thousand years,
Whose thousand years a day,
Pity the doubts, forgive the fears
Which vex me on my way!
Whose thousand years a day,
Pity the doubts, forgive the fears
Which vex me on my way!
Why should I fear, who, wondering, see
Those deeps too small to view?
The Power that made such life to be,
Makes life to feed it, too.
Those deeps too small to view?
The Power that made such life to be,
Makes life to feed it, too.
Remembered sparrows, numbered hairs,
Clothed lilies, ravens fed,
Enfranchised spirits—ours and theirs,
The Living and the Dead.
Clothed lilies, ravens fed,
Enfranchised spirits—ours and theirs,
The Living and the Dead.
285
Vast spheres of life—dim shades of death—
To-day and yesterday—
The vault above—the void beneath—
Hark what their voices say:—
To-day and yesterday—
The vault above—the void beneath—
Hark what their voices say:—
“No room for fear, no place for care
That single eye can see,
Opened by faith and purged by prayer,
And turned and fixed on THEE.”
That single eye can see,
Opened by faith and purged by prayer,
And turned and fixed on THEE.”
July 1868.
| The Literary Works of James Smetham | |