"You come and see me, boys," he said;
"You'll find a welcome and a bed
And whisky any time you call;
Although our township hasn't got
The name of quite a lively spot --
You see, I live in Booligal.
"And people have an awful down
Upon the district and the town --
Which worse...
He forgot — and I — remembered —
'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?
He fumbles at your Soul
As Players at the Keys
Before they drop full Music on —
He stuns you by degrees —
Prepares your brittle Nature
For the Ethereal Blow
By fainter Hammers — further heard —
Then nearer — Then so slow
Your Breath has time to straighten —
Your Brain...
He gave away his Life —
To Us — Gigantic Sum —
A trifle — in his own esteem —
But magnified — by Fame —
Until it burst the Hearts
That fancied they could hold —
When swift it slipped its limit —
And on the Heavens — unrolled —
'Tis Ours — to wince — and weep —
...
* * *
He has observd the Golden Rule
Till hes become the Golden Fool[3]
He is alive, this morning —
He is alive — and awake —
Birds are resuming for Him —
Blossoms — dress for His Sake.
Bees — to their Loaves of Honey
Add an Amber Crumb
Him — to regale — Me — Only —
Motion, and am dumb.
He lived the Life of Ambush
And went the way of Dusk
And now against his subtle name
There stands an Asterisk
As confident of him as we —
Impregnable we are —
The whole of Immortality intrenched
Within a star —
He outstripped Time with but a Bout,
He outstripped Stars and Sun
And then, unjaded, challenged God
In presence of the Throne.
And He and He in mighty List
Unto this present, run,
The larger Glory for the less
A just sufficient Ring.
He parts Himself — like Leaves —
And then — He closes up —
Then stands upon the Bonnet
Of Any Buttercup —
And then He runs against
And oversets a Rose —
And then does Nothing —
Then away upon a Jib — He goes —
And dangles like a Mote
Suspended in the Noon...