They sleep within. . . . I cower to the earth, I waking, I only. High and cold thou dreamest, O queen, high-dreaming and lonely. We have slept too long, who can hardly win The white one flame, and the night-long crying; The viewless passers; the world's low sighing With desire, with yearning, To the fire unburning, To the heatless fire, to the flameless ecstasy! . . . Helpless I lie. And around me the feet of thy watchers tread. There is a rumour and a radiance of wings above my head, An intolerable radiance of wings. . . . All the earth grows fire, White lips of desire Brushing cool on the forehead, croon slumbrous things. Earth fades; and the air is thrilled with ways, Dewy paths full of comfort. And radiant bands, The gracious presence of friendly hands, Help the blind one, the glad one, who stumbles and strays, Stretching wavering hands, up, up, through the praise Of light. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...DIVIDE by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON HAD I THE CHOICE (AFTER WALT WHITMAN) by GEORGE SANTAYANA HAPPY WIND by WILLIAM HENRY DAVIES ALEXANDER'S FEAST; OR, THE POWER OF MUSIC by JOHN DRYDEN WOODNOTES: 2 by RALPH WALDO EMERSON A SONG OF PANAMA by ALFRED DAMON RUNYON |