To that odd fork in Being’s road,
Eternity by term.
Our pace took sudden awe,
Our feet reluctant led.
Before were cities, but between,
The forest of the dead.
Retreat was out of hope,–
Behind, a sealed route,
Eternity’s white flag before,
And God at every gate.
Similar Posts
For each ecstatic instant
In keen and quivering ratioTo the ectasty.For each beloved hourSharp pittances of years,Bitter contested farthingsAnd coffers heaped with tears.
827
Is Bulletins all DayFrom Immortality.The Only Shows I see—Tomorrow and Today—Perchance Eternity—The Only One I meetIs God—The Only Street—Existence—This traversedIf Other News there be—Or Admirable Show—I’ll tell it You—
To die—takes just a little while—
It’s only fainter—by degrees—And then—it’s out of sight—A darker Ribbon—for a Day—A Crape upon the Hat—And then the pretty sunshine comes—And helps us to forget—The absent—mystic—creature—That but for love of us—Had gone to sleep—that soundest time—Without the weariness—
261
What of—my Music!Since the sole ear I cared to charm—Passive—as Granite—laps My Music—Sobbing—will suit—as well as psalm!Would but the ‘Memnon’ of the Desert—Teach me the strainThat vanquished Him—When He—surrendered to the Sunrise—Maybe—that—would awaken—them!
682
Elate—a Bee—Thou’rt neither—Neither—thy capacity—But, Blossom, were I,I would rather beThy momentThan a Bee’s Eternity—Content of fadingIs enough for me—Fade I unto Divinity—And Dying—Lifetime—Ample as the Eye—Her least attention raise on me—
The day came slow, till five o’clock,
Like hindered rubies, or the light,A sudden musket spills.The purple could not keep the east.The sunrise shook from fold.Like breadths of topaz, packed a night,The lady just unrolled.The happy winds their timbrels took;The birds in docile rows,Arranged themselves around their prince.(The wind is prince of those.)The orchard sparkled like a Jew,—How mighty ’twas to stay,A…