EARTH'S BURDENS WHY groaning so, thou solid earth, "Nor am I cold to summer's prime, "I lov'd to list when tree and tide Their gentle music made, And lightly on my sunny side To feel the plough and spade. "I lov'd to hold my liquid way Through floods of living light; "I lov'd to hear the children's glee, THE WRECK "But man upon my back has roll'd Such heavy loads of stone, I scarce can grow the harvest gold: 'Tis therefore that I groan. "And when the evening dew sinks mild Upon my quiet breast, I feel the tear of the houseless child "Oh! where are all the hallow'd sweets, The harmless joys I gave? The pavement of your sordid streets "And thick and fast as autumn leaves My children drop away, A gathering of unripen'd sheaves "Gaunt misery holds the cottage door, And slaves are slavish more and more: "Tis therefore that I groan." John Kuskin ITs masts of might, its sails so free, Had borne the scatheless keel Through many a day of darken'd sea, And many a storm of steel; When all the winds were calm, it met Of the waves THE FACE THESE dreary hours of hopeless gloom I saw it first when in the dance I saw it next, a thousand times; What was I then, that others' thought I saw it last, when black and white Although my scorn that face did maim, An earthquake. I am bound and bless'd to youth. None but the brave and beautiful can love. Oh give me to the young, the fair, the free, The brave, who would breast a rushing, burning world Which came between him and his heart's delight. Mad must I be, and what's the world? Like mad For itself. And I to myself am all things, too. If my heart thunder'd would the world rock? Well, Then let the mad world fight its shadow down. Soon there may be nor sun nor world nor shadow. But thou, my blood, my bright red running soul, Rejoice thou like a river in thy rapids. Rejoice, thou wilt never pale with age, nor thin; But in thy full dark beauty, vein by vein Serpent-wise, me encircling, shalt to the end Throb, bubble, sparkle, laugh, and leap along. Make merry, heart, while the holidays shall last. Better than daily dwine, break sharp with life; Like a stag, sunstruck, top thy bounds and die. Heart, I could tear thee out, thou fool, thou fool, And strip thee into shreds upon the wind. What have I done that thou shouldst maze me thus ? Lucifer. Let us away; we have had enough of hearts. Festus. Öh for the young heart like a fountain playing, Flinging its bright fresh feelings up to the skies It loves and strives to reach ; strives, loves in vain. It is of earth, and never meant for heaven, Let us love both and die. The sphinx-like heart Loathes life the moment that life's riddle is read. The knot of our existence solv'd, all things Loose-ended lie, and useless. Life is had, And lo! we sigh, and say, can this be all? It is not what we thought; it is very well, But we want something more. There is but death. And when we have said and seen, done, had, enjoy'd And suffer'd, maybe, all we have wish'd or fear'd, From fame to ruin, and from love to loathing, There can come but one more changetry it death. Oh! it is great to feel that nought of earth, Hope, love, nor dread, nor care for what's to come, Can check the royal lavishment of life ; But, like a streamer strown upon the wind, We fling our souls to fate and to the future. For to die young is youth's divinest gift; To pass from one world fresh into another, Ere change hath lost the charm of soft regret, And feel the immortal impulse from within Which makes the coming life cry alway, on ! |