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Through clearing and through wood—Banditti often passed usUpon the lonely road.The wolf came peering curious—The owl looked puzzled down—The serpent’s satin figureGlid stealthily along—The tempests touched our garments—The lightning’s poinards gleamed—Fierce from the Crag above usThe hungry Vulture screamed—The satyr’s fingers beckoned—The valley murmured ‘Come’—These were the mates—This was the roadThose children fluttered home.

‘Twas an everyday affair—Long ago as Christ and Peter—‘Warmed them’ at the ‘Temple fire.’‘Thou wert with him’—quoth ‘the Damsel’?‘No’—said Peter, ’twasn’t me—Jesus merely ‘looked’ at Peter—Could I do aught else—to Thee?

Before they drop full music on;He stuns you by degrees,Prepares your brittle substanceFor the ethereal blow,By fainter hammers, further heard,Then nearer, then so slowYour breath has time to straighten,Your brain to bubble cool, —Deals one imperial thunderboltThat scalps your naked soul.

Across a barn or through a rutDebates if it will go.A narrow wind complains all dayHow some one treated him;Nature, like us, is sometimes caughtWithout her diadem.

To that Old Moses—done—To let him see—the Canaan—Without the entering—And tho’ in soberer moments—No Moses there can beI’m satisfied—the RomanceIn point of injury—Surpasses sharper stated—Of Stephen—or of Paul—For these—were only put to death—While God’s adroiter willOn Moses—seemed to fastenWith tantalizing PlayAs Boy—should deal with lesser Boy—To prove ability.The fault—was doubtless Israel’s—Myself—had banned the Tribes—And ushered…

And a Green Chill upon the HeatSo ominous did passWe barred the Windows and the DoorsAs from an Emerald Ghost –The Doom’s electric MoccasinThe very instant passed –On a strange Mob of panting TreesAnd Fences fled awayAnd Rivers where the Houses ranThose looked that lived – that Day –The Bell within the steeple wildThe flying…