Through the half open door, Over the gray sidewalk, In front of the many-spired Russian Cathedral -- Alien of aliens, here in the Occident -- Sweeps music, Bitter, plaintive, Yearning, turbulent, Splashing purple, red, blue, gold, Over the white sidewalk: Vari-colored glory of the East On the gray glory of the West. Through the half open door, Over the gray sidewalk, Drifts incense smoke, Curling in lavender spirals, Now soft, now heavy, Scented with a far, foreign odor, Mingled with hesitating lilac fragrance From the bush on the green parking: Mystic glory of the East With the simple glory of the West. Through the door, opened wide, On to the white sidewalk, Pour the worshippers -- Aliens of aliens, here in the Occident -- With far-looking eyes, With far-seeking faces, With far-born turbulent tongues, Jostling the kindly, contented, practical, Conventional-voiced passers-by: To-morrow's glory of the East, Jostling to-day's glory of the West. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE [MAY 24, 1883] by EDNA DEAN PROCTOR SING-SONG; A NURSERY RHYME BOOK: 45 by CHRISTINA GEORGINA ROSSETTI SONNET: ENGLAND by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH ON A FORSAKEN LARK'S NEST by MATHILDE BLIND ALL WHITE by WILFRID SCAWEN BLUNT BABEL FALLS by ANNA HEMPSTEAD BRANCH A SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAY IN BRITTANY by ABBIE FARWELL BROWN A HYMN FOR A CHILD THAT HAS UNGODLY PARENTS by WILLIAM COWPER |