• * * *


    He has observd the Golden Rule

    Till hes become the Golden Fool[3]


  • * * *


    He is a Cock would[3]

    And would be a Cock[4] if he could

  • 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...

  • He preached upon "Breadth" till it argued him narrow —

    The Broad are too broad to define

    And of "Truth" until it proclaimed him a Liar —

    The Truth never flaunted a Sign —


    Simplicity fled from his counterfeit presence

    As Gold the Pyrites would shun —

    What confusion would cover the innocent Jesus...

  • He put the Belt around my life

    I heard the Buckle snap —

    And turned away, imperial,

    My Lifetime folding up —

    Deliberate, as a Duke would do

    A Kingdom's Title Deed —

    Henceforth, a Dedicated sort —

    A Member of the Cloud.


    Yet not too far to come at call —

    And do the...

  • He scanned it — staggered —

    Dropped the Loop

    To Past or Period —

    Caught helpless at a sense as if

    His Mind were going blind —


    Groped up, to see if God was there —

    Groped backward at Himself

    Caressed a Trigger absently

    And wandered out of Life.

  • He strained my faith —

    Did he find it supple?

    Shook my strong trust —

    Did it then — yield?


    Hurled my belief —

    But — did he shatter — it?

    Racked — with suspense —

    Not a nerve failed!


    Wrung me — with Anguish —

    But I never doubted him —

    'Tho' for...