‘Twas Murder by degrees—
A Thrust—and then for Life a chance—
The Bliss to cauterize—
The Cat reprieves the Mouse
She eases from her teeth
Just long enough for Hope to tease—
Then mashes it to death—
‘Tis Life’s award—to die—
Contenteder if once—
Than dying half—then rallying
For consciouser Eclipse—
Tapped soft upon the TownWith ‘I am great and cannot waitSo therefore let me in.’‘You’re soon,’ the Town replied,‘My Faces are asleep—But swear, and I will let you by,You will not wake them up.’The easy Guest compliedBut once within the TownThe transport of His CountenanceAwakened Maid and ManThe Neighbor in the PoolUpon His Hip elateMade…
But in this black ReceptacleCan be no Bode of Dawn
As an Evening West,To a fine, pedantic sunshine—In a satin Vest!
Or perish from the Hill—Without the privilege to knowThat they are Beautiful—How many cast a nameless PodUpon the nearest Breeze—Unconscious of the Scarlet Freight—It bear to Other Eyes—
Three times—He would not go—But strove to stir the lifeless FanThe Waters—strove to stay.Three Times—the Billows tossed me up—Then caught me—like a Ball—Then made Blue faces in my face—And pushed away a sailThat crawled Leagues off—I liked to see—For thinking—while I die—How pleasant to behold a ThingWhere Human faces—be—The Waves grew sleepy—Breath—did not—The Winds—like Children—lulled—Then…
When one who died for truth was lainIn an adjoining room.He questioned softly why I failed?‘For beauty,’ I replied.‘And I for truth,–the two are one;We brethren are,’ he said.And so, as kinsmen met a night,We talked between the rooms,Until the moss had reached our lips,And covered up our names.
