dreams & dust-第4节
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A NIGHTMARE
LEAGUES before me； leagues behind；
Clamor warring wastes of flood；
All the streams of all the worlds
Flung together； mad of mood；
Through the canon beats a sound；
Regular of interval；
Distant； drumming； muffled； dull；
Thunderously rhythmical；
Crafts slip by my startled soul
Soul that cowers； a thing apart
They are corpuscles of blood！
That's the throbbing of a heart！
God of terrors！am I mad？
Through my body； mine own soul；
Shrunken to an atom's size；
Voyages toward an unguessed goal！
THE MOTHER
THE mother by the gallows…tree；
The gallows…tree； the gallows…tree；
（While the twitching body mocked the sun）
Lifted to Heaven her broken heart
And called for sympathy。
Then Mother Mary bent to her；
Bent from her place by God's left side；
And whispered： 〃Peacedo I not know？
My son was crucified！〃
〃O Mother Mary；〃 answered she；
〃You cannot； cannot enter in
To my soul's woeyou cannot know
For your son wrought no sin！〃
（And men whose work compelled them there；
Their hearts were stricken dead；
They heard the rope creak on the beam；
I thought I heard the frightened ghost
Whimpering overhead。）
The mother by the gallows…tree；
The gallows…tree； the gallows…tree；
Lifted to Christ her broken heart
And called in agony。
Then Lord Christ bent to her and said：
〃Be comforted； be comforted；
I know your grief； the whole world's woe
I bore upon my head。〃
〃But O Lord Christ； you cannot know；
No one can know；〃 she said； 〃no one〃
（While the quivering corpse swayed in the wind）
〃Lord Christ； no one can understand
Who never had a son！〃
IN THE BAYOU
LAZY and slow； through the snags and trees
Move the sluggish currents； half asleep；
Around and between the cypress knees；
Like black； slow snakes the dark tides creep
How deep is the bayou beneath the trees？
〃Knee…deep；
Knee…deep；
Knee…deep；
Knee…deep！〃
Croaks the big bullfrog of Reelfoot Lake
From his hiding…place in the draggled brake。
What is the secret the slim reeds know
That makes them to shake and to shiver so；
And the scared flags quiver from plume to foot？
The frogs pipe solemnly； deep and slow：
〃Look under
the root！
Look under
the root！〃
The hoarse frog croaks and the stark owl hoots
Of a mystery moored in the cypress roots。
Was it love turned hate？ Was it friend turned foe？
Only the frogs and the gray owl know；
For the white moon shrouded her face in a mist
At the spurt of a pistol； red and bright
At the sound of a shriek that stabbed the night
And the little reeds were frightened and whist；
But always the eddies whimper and choke；
And the frogs would tell if they could； for they
croak：
〃Deep； deep！
Death…deep！
Deep； deep！
Death…deep！〃
And the dark tide slides and glisters and glides
Snakelike over the secret it hides。
THE SAILOR'S WIFE SPEAKS
YE are dead； they say； but ye swore； ye swore；
Ye would come to me back from the sea！
From out of the sea and the night； ye cried；
Nor the crawling weed nor the dragging tide
Could hold ye fast from me：
Come； ah； come to me！
Three spells I have laid on the rising sun
And three on the waning moon
Are ye held in the bonds of the night or the day
Ye must loosen your bonds and away； away！
Ye must come where I wait ye； soon
Ah； soon！ soon！ soon！
Three times I have cast my words to the wind；
And thrice to the climbing sea；
If ye drift or dream with the clouds or foam
Ye must drift again home； ye must drift again
home
Wraith； ye are free； ye are free；
Ghost； ye are free； ye are free！
Are the coasts of death so fair； so fair？
But I wait ye here on the shore！
It is I that ye hear in the calling wind
I have stared through the dark till my soul is blind！
O lover of mine； ye swore；
Lover of mine； ye swore！
HUNTED
Oh； why do they hunt so hard； so hard； who have
no need of food？
Do they hunt for sport； do they hunt for hate； do
they hunt for the lust of blood？
。 。 。 。 。 。
If I were a god I would get me a spear； I would
get me horse and dog；
And merrily； merrily I would ride through covert
and brake and bog；
With hound and horn and laughter loud； over the
hills and away
For there is no sport like that of a god with a
man that stands at bay！
Ho！ but the morning is fresh and fair； and oh！
but the sun is bright；
And yonder the quarry breaks from the brush and
heads for the hills in flight；
A minute's law for the harried thingthen follow
him； follow him fast；
With the bellow of dogs and the beat of hoofs
and the mellow bugle's blast。
。 。 。 。 。 。
Hillo！ Halloo！ they have marked a man！ there is
sport in the world to…day
And a clamor swells from the heart of the wood that
tells of a soul at bay！
A DREAM CHILD
WHERE tides of tossed wistaria bloom
Foam up in purple turbulence；
Where twining boughs have built a room
And wing'd winds pause to garner scents
And scattered sunlight flecks the gloom；
She broods in pensive indolence。
What is the thought that holds her thrall；
That dims her sight with unshed tears？
What songs of sorrow droop and fall
In broken music for her ears？
What voices thrill her and recall
The poignant joy of happier years？
She dreams 'tis not the winds which pass
That whisper through the shaken vine；
Whose footstep stirs the rustling grass
None else that listened might divine；
She sees her child that never was
Look up with longing in his eyne。
Unkissed； his lifted forehead gains
A grace not earthly； but more rare
For since her heart but only feigns；
Wherefore should love not feign him fair？
Put blood of roses in his veins；
Weave yellow sunshines for his hair？
All ghosts of little children dead
That wander wistful； uncaressed；
Their seeking lips by love unfed；
She fain would cradle on her breast
For his sweet sake whose lonely head
Has never known that tender rest。
And thus she sits； and thus she broods；
Where drifted blossoms freak the grass；
The winds that move across her moods
Pulse with low whispers as they pass；
And in their eerier interludes
She hears a voice that never was。
ACROSS THE NIGHT
MUCH listening through the silences；
Much staring through the night；
And lo！ the dumb blind distances
Are bridged with speech and sight！
Magician Thought； informed of Love；
Hath fixed her on the air
Oh； Love and I laughed down the fates
And clasped her； here as there！
Across the eerie silences
She came in headlong flight；
She stormed the serried distances；
She trampled space and night！
Oh； foolish scientists might give
This miracle a name
But Love and I care but to know
That when we called she came。
And since I find the distances
Subservient to my thought；
And of the sentient silences
More vital speech have wrought；
Then she and I will mock Death's self；
For all his vaunted might
There are no gulfs we dare not leap；
As she leapt through the night！
SEA CHANGES
I
MORNING
WE stood among the boats and nets；
We saw the swift clouds fall；
We watched the schooners scamper in
Before the sudden squall；
The jolly squall strove lustily
To whelm the sheltered street
The merry squall that piled the seas
About the patient headland's knees
And chased the fishing fleet。
She laughed； as if with wings her mirth
Arose and left the wingless earth
And all tame things behind；
Rose like a bird； wild with delight
Whose briny pinions flash in flight
Through storm and sun and wind。
Her laughter sought those skies because
Their mood and hers were one；
For she and I were drunk with love
And life and storm and sun！
And while she laughed； the Sun himself
Leapt laughing through the rain
And struck his harper hand along
The ringing coast； and that wind…song
Whose joy is mixed with pain
Forgot the undertone of grief
And joined the jocund strain；
And over every hidden reef
Whereon the waves broke merrily
Rose jets and sprays of melody
And leapt and laughed again。
II
MOONLIGHT
We stood among the boats and nets 。 。 。
We marked the risen moon
Walk swaying o'er the trembling seas
As one sways in a swoon；
The little stars； the lonely stars；
Stole through the hollow sky；
And every sucking eddy where
The waves lapped whar
