Chapter II: Epilogue

_TO THE EVENING STAR_ 123
_TO HER BOOK_ 124

SONGS AND SPELLS.

THE HOUSE AND THE ROAD.

The little Road says Go,
The little House says Stay:
And O, it’s bonny here at home,
But I must go away.

The little Road, like me,
Would seek and turn and know;
And forth I must, to learn the things
The little Road would show!

And go I must, my dears,
And journey while I may,
Though heart be sore for the little House
That had no word but Stay.

Maybe, no other way
Your child could ever know
Why a little House would have you stay,
When a little Road says, Go.

CHARM: TO BE SAID IN THE SUN.

I reach my arms up, to the sky,
And golden vine on vine
Of sunlight showered wild and high,
Around my brows I twine.

I wreathe, I wind it everywhere,
The burning radiancy
Of brightness that no eye may dare,
To be the strength of me.

Come, redness of the crystalline,
Come green, come hither blue
And violet—all alive within,
For I have need of you.

Come honey-hue and flush of gold,
And through the pallor run,
With pulse on pulse of manifold
New largess of the Sun!

O steep the silence till it sing!
O glories from the height,
Come down, where I am garlanding
With light, a child of light!

BEFORE MEAT.

Hunger of the world,
When we ask a grace,
Be remembered here with us,
By the vacant place.

Thirst, with nought to drink,
Sorrow more than mine,
May God someday make you laugh,
With water turned to wine.

SAD TRUTH.

Truth I tell with heavy heart,
To another one,
Give me sweetness for your smart,
When sad time is done.

Then may I be clear again,
Love without disguise;
Since I have to bear, till then,
Dark of hostile eyes.

_Bitter shall be sweet some day.
Ah, but that is far away!
I must bind my heart and say:
Bitter now, but sweet some day._

GLAD TRUTH.

Beautiful, that did come true,
Beautiful, so it was you!
If forgiveness be for us
That we ever doubted thus,
Then forgive us radiantly,
All our doubts that are to be.
Now that we lay hold of you,
Nearer than we hoped or knew,
Dearer than we looked to find,
Beautiful, forgive the blind.

THE BIRD IN THE HAND.

Yesterday has flown away
Far beyond the sun.
And of morrows, who can say,
Till another one?

Only Now is all my own,
And my heart knows how:
O wild wings for a sky unknown,
Mine, mine—now!

WAKING.

Early in the morning,
Early in the dew,
Singing from the mountains
Where the dreams withdrew,
Lingered one I knew.

‘Soul, art thou so shining?
What is there to tell?
Whither hast thou journeyed?’
And the answer fell,
‘Early to the well.

‘Early, early, early,
To the farthest light;
Drinking, singing, bathing
In the cool, the might,
Whence I have my sight.

‘There I found my sandals
Gladdened with a wing;
And my fair apparel
Woven out of Spring.
Therefore do I sing.’

And the golden voices
Warming with the sun,
Dimmed the silver voices,
Fading, one by one.
And the dream was done.

THE MAGIC.

You who saw through my disguise
Though I came so poor,
Let me bless your true two eyes
And your open door.
Yes, I am a wonder-child;
Hark and tell it not.—
With the journey and the cold
I had half forgot.

Take the charmèd seeds I lay
In your open hand:
Some would cast them all away,
You will understand.
Trust the bud to come to flower,
Trust the flower for fruit.
Listen in the winter-time
For a cricket lute.

Here are blessings all from me
—Though they look like tears—
For your blessed eyes that see
And your heart that hears.
I am higher than I seem,
Fair as I would be:
O, I bless your heart that hears,
And your eyes that see!

They were ragged gifts I showed,
But you took the sense
Of the bird-nest from the road,
And the lucky pence.
And for all the charms I leave
Every time I pass,
Simple folk will only see
Cobwebs on the grass!

ROAD-SONG.