anthology of massachusetts poets-第11节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
Of stars and men in countless throngs;
And then he died to life again;
And shovelled with the strength of ten。
He taught me how to say my letters;
And take my hat off to my betters;
And when I asked for fairy stories;
He told me of angelic glories。
He was a lovely farmer; he
Had seen an angel in a tree。
EDWARD J。 O'BRIEN
SONG
FROM 〃FLESH: A GEOGORIAN ODE〃
EBB on with me across the sunset tide
And float beyond the waters of the world;
The light of evening slipping from my side;
Thy softened voice in waves of silence furled。
Flow on into the flaming morning wine;
Drowning the land in color。 Then on high
Rise in thy candid innocence and shine
Like to a poplar straight against the sky。
EDWARD J。 O'BRIEN
IN MEMORIAM: FRANCIS LEDWIDGE
(Killed in action; July 31; 1917)
SOLDIER and singer of Erin;
What may I fashion for thee?
What garland of words or of flowers?
Singer of sunlight and showers;
The wind on the lea;
Of clouds; and the houses of Erin;
Wee cabins; white on the plain;
And bright with the colours of even;
Beauty of earth and of heaven falls
Outspread beyond Slane!
night through let my mind be still;
Slane; where the Easter of Patrick
Flamed on the night of the Gael;
Guard both the honor and story
Of him who has died for the glory
That crowns Innisfail。
Soldier of right and of freedom;
I offer thee song and hot tears。
With Brian; and Red Hugh O'Donnell;
The chiefs of Tyrone and Tryconnell;
Live on through the years!
NORREYS JEPHSON O'CONOR
EVENSONG
A SHEPHERD piping; herald of the Night
Who comes with Silence up the coloured vale;
Treading low gently; clad in greyish white;
Poignantly piping; sound your reedy wail!
For Day departed moves in funeral train
Tended by Twilight and; in deepest rose;
The splendid Sunset melts beneath the main
While sweet the Sea…wind with cool softness blows。
As when a mother gathers to her breast
The child who frets for Dad's remembered smart;
Now Light fades quickly in the ashen west;
And Night…Peace falls across my troubled heart。
Flutes; for the night through let my mind be still;
And God keep safe with Him my stubborn will!
NORREYS JEPHSON O'CONOR
THE PROPHET
ALL day long he kept the sheep:
Far and early; from the crowd;
On the hills from steep to steep;
Where the silence cried aloud;
And the shadow of the cloud
Wrapt him in a noonday sleep。
Where he dipped the water's cool;
Filling boyish hands from thence;
Something breathed across the pool
Stir of sweet enlightenments;
And he drank; with thirsty sense;
Till his heart was brimmed and full。
Still; the hovering Voice unshed;
And the Vision unbeheld;
And the mute sky overhead;
And his longing; still withheld!
Even when the two tears welled;
Salt; upon that lonely bread。
Vaguely blessed in the leaves;
Dim…companioned in the sun;
Eager mornings; wistful eyes;
Very hunger drew him on;
And To…morrow ever shone
With the glow the sunset weaves。
Even so; to that young heart;
Words and hands and Men were dear;
And the stir of lane and mart
After daylong vigil here。
Sunset called; and he drew near;
Still to find his path apart。
When the Bell; with gentle tongue;
Called the herd…bells home again;
Through the purple shades he swung;
Down the mountain; through the glen;
Towards the sound of fellow…men;…
Even from the light that clung。
Dimly too; as cloud on cloud;
Came that silent flock of his:
Thronging whiteness; in a crowd;
After homing twos and threes;
With the longing memories
Of all white things dreamed and vowed。
Through the fragrances; alone;
By the sudden…silent brook;
》From the open world unknown;
To the close of speech and book;
There to find the foreign look
In the faces of his own。
Sharing was beyond his skill;
Shyly yet; he made essay:
Sought to dip; and share; and fill
Heart's…desire; from day to day。
But their eyes; some foreign way;
Looked at him; and he was still。
Last; he reached his arms to sleep;
Where the Vision waited; dim;
Still beyond some deep…on…deep。
And the darkness folded him;
Eager heart and weary limb。
All day long; he kept the sheep。
JOSEPHINE PRESTON PEABODY
HARVEST…MOON: 1914
OVER the twilight field;
The overflowing field;
Over the glimmering field;
And bleeding furrows with their sodden yield
Of sheaves that still did writhe;
After the scythe;
The teeming field and darkly overstrewn
With all the garnered fulness of that noon
Two looked upon each other。
One was a Woman men called their mother;
And one; the Harvest…Moon。
And one; the Harvest…Moon;
Who stood; who gazed
On those unquiet gleanings where they bled;
Till the lone Woman said:
〃But we were crazed 。 。 。
We should laugh now together; I and you;
We two。
You; for your dreaming it was worth
A star's while to look on and light the Earth;
And I; forever telling to my mind;
Glory it was; and gladness; to give birth
To humankind!
Yes; I; that ever thought it not amiss
To give the breath to men;
For men to slay again:
Lording it over anguish but to give
My life that men might live
For this。
You will be laughing now; remembering
I called you once Dead World; and barren thing;
Yes; so we named you then;
You; far more wise
Than to give life to men。〃
Over the field; that there
Gave back the skies
A shattered upward stare
》From blank white eyes;
Striving awhile; through many a bleeding dune
Of throbbing clay; but dumb and quiet soon;
She looked; and went her way
The Harvest…Moon。
JOSEPHINE PRESTON PEAODY
HORSEMAN SPRINGING
FROM THE DARK: A DREAM
〃HORSEMAN; springing from the dark;
Horseman; flying wild and free;
Tell me what shall be thy road
Whither speedest far from me?〃
〃From the dark into the light;
》From the small unto the great;
》From the valleys dark I ride
O'er the hills to conquer fate!〃
〃Take me with thee; horseman mine!
Let me madly rode with thee!〃
As he turned I met his eyes;
My own soul looked back at me!
LILLA CABOT PERRY
THREE QUATRAINS
THE CUP
SHE said; 〃Lift high the cup!〃
Of her arm's weariness she gave no sign;
But; smiling; raised it up
That none might see or guess it held no wine。
FORGIVE ME NOT!
FORGIVE me not! Hate me and I shall know
Some of Love's fire still burns within your breast!
Forgiveness finds its home in hearts at rest;
On dead volcanoes only lies the snow。
THE ROSE
ONE deep red rose I dropped into his grave;
So small a thing to give so great a friend!
Yet well he knew it was my heart I gave
And must fare on without it to the end;
LILLA CABOT PERRY
A VALENTINE; UNSENT
STAY; flaming rose; 'twould grieve her heart
To see you fade away;
Unloved; unwelcome and apart
》From every joy to…day。
Once long ago your tale was new;
Days distant yet so dear;
Why say her lover still is true;
When that is all her fear?
Why thus recall another's pain;
Her tender heart to fret?
Best let her think he loves again;
Who never can forget!
MARGARET PERRY
SHIPBUILDERS
THE German people reared them
An idol made of wood;
And Hindenburg before them
Lifelike and stupid stood。
To clothe him all in iron
And thus his soul express;
With nails and spikes they covered
His wooden nakedness。
And when they; thus had clothed him
All in a suit of mail;
Still came they; wild…eyed; looking
For space to drive a nail。
Whenever Teuton airmen
Slay boys and girls at play;
Or U…boats; drowning babies;
Create a holiday。
Then; gathering round their statue;
A happy German throng
Drive nails into the idol
To make him still more strong。
Avenge the babes; shipbuilders;
That on the seas have died;
Avenge the little children
Murdered for Wilhelm's pride。
Come; gather at the shipyards;
And let your hammers ring;
For more than ships and cargoes
Waits on your fashioning。
Come; gather at the shipyards;
With every bolt you drive
Bethink you ‘tis the Kaiser
Whose brutish head you rive。
Come; gather at the shipyards;
And swing with might and main;
‘Tis Tirpitz and the Crown Prince
That you to…day have slain。
Come; gather at the shipyards;
And heat the metal hot;
For it is Bethmann Hollweg
You're boiling in the pot。
Come; gather at the shipyards;
And when the day is done;
You've spent it in driving spikes;
In Hindernburg the Hun。
Come; gather at the shipyards;
And toil with healthy hate;
For only you can save the world;
The Hun is at the gate。
ARTHUR STANWOOD PIE
UNFADING PICTURES
(〃The air from the sea came blowing i