按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
SELVES
My dust in ruined Babylon Is blown along the level plain； And
songs of mine at dawn have soared Above the blue Sicilian main。
We are ourselves； and not ourselves 。 。 。 For ever thwarting pride
and will Some forebear's passion leaps from death To claim a vital
license still。
Ancestral lusts that slew and died； Resurgent； swell each living vein；
Old doubts and faiths； new panoplied； Dispute the mastery of the brain。
The love of liberty that flames From written rune and stricken reed
Shook the hot hearts of swordsmen sires At Marathon and Runnymede。
What are these things we call our 〃selves〃？ 。 。 。 Have I not shouted；
sobbed； and died In the bright surf of spears that broke Where Greece
rolled back the Persian tide？
Are we who breathe more quick than they Whose bones are dust
within the tomb？ Nay； as I write； what gray old ghosts Murmur and
mock me from the gloom。 。 。 。
They call 。 。 。 across strange seas they call； Strange seas； and
haunted coasts of time。 。 。 。 They startle me with wordless songs To
which the Sphinx hath known the rhyme。
Our hearts swell big with dead men's hates； Our eyes sting hot with
dead men's tears； We are ourselves； but not ourselves； Born heirs； but
serfs； to all the years！
I rode with Nimrod 。 。 。 strove at Troy 。 。 。 A slave I stood in
Crowning Tyre； A queen looked on me and I loved And died to
compass my desire。
31
… Page 32…
DREAMS & DUST
THE WAGES
EARTH loves to gibber o'er her dross； Her golden souls； to waste；
The cup she fills for her god…men Is a bitter cup to taste。
Who sees the gyves that bind mankind And strives to strike them
off Shall gain the hissing hate of fools； Thorns； and the ingrate's scoff。
Who storms the moss…grown walls of eld And beats some falsehood
down Shall pass the pallid gates of death Sans laurel； love or crown；
For him who fain would teach the world The world holds hate in
fee For Socrates； the hemlock cup； For Christ； Gethsemane。
IN MARS； WHAT AVATAR？
〃In Vishnu…land； what avatar？〃
BROWNING。
PERCHANCE the dying gods of Earth Are destined to another birth；
And worn…out creeds regain their worth In the kindly air of other stars
What lords of life and light hold sway In the myriad worlds of the Milky
Way？ What avatars in Mars？
What Aphrodites from the seas That lap the plunging Pleiades Arise
to spread afar The dream that was the soul of Greece？ In Mars； what
avatar？
Which hundred moons are wan with love For dull Endymions？
Which hundred moons hang tranced above Audacious Ajalons？
What Holy Grail lures errants pale Through the wastes of yonder
star？ What fables sway the Milky Way？ In Mars； what avatar？
When morning skims with crimson wings Across the meres of
Mercury； What dreaming Memnon wakes and sings Of miracles on
Mercury？ What Christs； what avatars； Claim Mars？
THE GOD…MAKER； MAN
NEVERMORE Shall the shepherds of Arcady follow Pan's moods
32
… Page 33…
DREAMS & DUST
as he lolls by the shore Of the mere； or lies hid in the hollow；
Nevermore Shall they start at the sound of his reed…fashioned
flute；
Fallen mute Are the strings of Apollo； His lyre and his lute； And
the lips of the Memnons are mute Evermore； And the gods of the
North；are they dead or forgetful； Our Odin and Baldur and Thor？
Are they drunk； or grown weary of worship and fretful； Our Odin
and Baldur and Thor？
And into what night have the Orient dieties strayed？ Swart
gods of the Nile； in dusk splendors arrayed； Brooding Isis and somber
Osiris； You were gone ere the fragile papyrus； （That bragged you
eternal！） decayed。
The avatars But illumine their limited evens And vanish like
plunging stars； They are fixed in the whirling heavens No firmer than
falling stars； Brief lords of the changing soul； they pass Like a breath from
the face of a glass； Or a blossom of summer blown shallop…like over
The clover And tossed tides of grass。
Sink to silence the psalms and the paeans The shibboleths shift； and
the faiths； And the temples that challenged the aeons Are tenanted only
by wraiths； Swoon to silence the cymbals and psalters； The worships
grow senseless and strange；
And the mockers ask； 〃Where be thy altars？〃 Crying； 〃Nothing is
changelessbut Change！〃
Yes； nothing seems changeless； but Change。 And yet； through the
creed…wrecking years； One story for ever appears； The tale of a City
Supernal The whisper of Something eternal A passion； a hope； and a
vision That peoples the silence with Powers； A fable of meadows
Elysian Where Time enters not with his Hours； Manifold are the tale's
variations； Race and clime ever tinting the dreams； Yet its essence；
through endless mutations； Immutable gleams。
Deathless； though godheads be dying； Surviving the creeds that
expire； Illogical； reason…defying； Lives that passionate； primal desire；
Insistent； persistent； forever Man cries to the silences； Never
Shall Death reign the lord of the soul； Shall the dust be the ultimate
33
… Page 34…
DREAMS & DUST
goal I will storm the black bastions of Night！ I will tread where my
vision has trod； I will set in the darkness a light； In the vastness； a god！〃
As the forehead of Man grows broader； so do his creeds； And
his gods they are shaped in his image； and mirror his needs； And
he clothes them with thunders