Out in the grey cheerless chill of the morning light,
Out on the track where the night shades still lurk,
ere the first gleam of the sungod's returning light
Round come the racehorses early at work.
Reefing and pulling and racing so readily,
Close sit the jockey-boys holding them hard,
"Steady the...
Only a Shrine, but Mine —
I made the Taper shine —
Madonna dim, to whom all Feet may come,
Regard a Nun —
Thou knowest every Woe —
Needless to tell thee — so —
But can'st thou do
The Grace next to it — heal?
That looks a harder skill to us —
Still — just as easy...
Only God — detect the Sorrow —
Only God —
The Jehovahs — are no Babblers —
Unto God —
God the Son — Confide it —
Still secure —
God the Spirit's Honor —
Just as sure —
* * *
The only Man that eer I knew
Who did not make me almost spew
Was Fuseli he was both Turk & Jew
And so dear Christian Friends how do you do
I had ridden over hurdles up the country once or twice,
By the side of Snowy River with a horse they called "The Ace".
And we brought him down to Sydney, and our rider, Jimmy Rice,
Got a fall and broke his shoulder, so they nabbed me in a trice --
Me, that never wore the colours, for the open Steeplechase.
"...
1843 edition
Note
1872 edition
Brief Commentary
Our bonny Scots lads, in their green tartan plaids.
Their blue-belted bonnets, and feathers sae braw,
Rank'd up on the green were fair to be seen,
But my bonny young laddie was fairest of a'.
His cheeks were as red as the sweet heather-bell.
Or the red western cloud looking down on the snaw.
His lang...
Our journey had advanced —
Our feet were almost come
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 —
...
Our little secrets slink away —
Beside God's shall not tell —
He kept his word a Trillion years
And might we not as well —
But for the niggardly delight
To make each other stare
Is there no sweet beneath the sun
With this that may compare —
Our lives are Swiss —
So still — so Cool —
Till some odd afternoon
The Alps neglect their Curtains
And we look farther on!
Italy stands the other side!
While like a guard between —
The solemn Alps —
The siren Alps
Forever intervene!