I greet the great sky face to face,

I know the stars and the stately moon
And the wind that runs with rippling shoon--

But why does it always bring to me
The far-off, beautiful sound of the sea?

The marsh-grass weaves me a wall of green,
But the wind comes whispering in between,

In the dead of night when the sky is deep
The wind comes waking me out of sleep--

Why does it always bring to me
The far-off, terrible call of the sea?

THE CLOUD
I AM a cloud in the heaven's height,

The stars are lit for my delight,
Tireless and changeful, swift and free,

I cast my shadow on hill and sea--
But why do the pines on the mountain's crest

Call to me always, "Rest, rest"?
I throw my mantle over the moon

And I blind the sun on his throne at noon,
Nothing can tame me, nothing can bind,

I am a child of the heartless wind--
But oh the pines on the mountain's crest

Whispering always, "Rest, rest."
THE POOR HOUSE

HOPE went by and Peace went by
And would not enter in;

Youth went by and Health went by
And Love that is their kin.

Those within the house shed tears
On their bitter bread;

Some were old and some were mad,
And some were sick a-bed.

Gray Death saw the wretched house
And even he passed by--

"They have never lived," he said,
"They can wait to die."

NEW YEAR'S DAWN--BROADWAY
WHEN the horns wear thin

And the noise, like a garment outworn,
Falls from the night,

The tattered and shivering night,
That thinks she is gay;

When the patient silence comes back,
And retires,

And returns,
Rebuffed by a ribald song,

Wounded by vehement cries,
Fleeing again to the stars--

Ashamed of her sister the night;
Oh, then they steal home,

The blinded, the pitiful ones
With their gew-gaws still in their hands,

Reeling with odorous breath
And thick, coarse words on their tongues.

They get them to bed, somehow,
RIVERS TO THE SEA

And sleep the forgiving,
Comes thru the scattering tumult

And closes their eyes.
The stars sink down ashamed

And the dawn awakes,
Like a youth who steals from a brothel,

Dizzy and sick.
THE STAR

A WHITE star born in the evening glow
Looked to the round green world below,

And saw a pool in a wooded place
That held like a jewel her mirrored face.

She said to the pool: "Oh, wondrous deep,
I love you, I give you my light to keep.

Oh, more profound than the moving sea
That never has shown myself to me!

Oh, fathomless as the sky is far,
Hold forever your tremulous star!"

But out of the woods as night grew cool
A brown pig came to the little pool;

It grunted and splashed and waded in
And the deepest place but reached its chin.

The water gurgled with tender glee
And the mud churned up in it turbidly.

The star grew pale and hid her face
In a bit of floating cloud like lace.

DOCTORS
EVERY night I lie awake

And every day I lie abed
And hear the doctors, Pain and Death,

Conferring at my head.
They speak in scientific tones,

Professional and low--
One argues for a speedy cure,

The other, sure and slow.
To one so humble as myself

It should be matter for some pride
To have such noted fellows here,

Conferring at my side.
.

THE INN OF EARTH
I CAME to the crowded Inn of Earth,

And called for a cup of wine,
But the Host went by with averted eye

From a thirst as keen as mine.
Then I sat down with weariness

And asked a bit of bread,
But the Host went by with averted eye

And never a word he said.
While always from the outer night

The waiting souls came in
With stifled cries of sharp surprise

At all the light and din.
"Then give me a bed to sleep," I said,

"For midnight comes apace"--
But the Host went by with averted eye

And I never saw his face.
RIVERS TO THE SEA

"Since there is neither food nor rest,
I go where I fared before"--

But the Host went by with averted eye
And barred the outer door.

IN THE CARPENTER'S SHOP
MARY sat in the corner dreaming,

Dim was the room and low,
While in the dusk, the saw went screaming

To and fro.
Jesus and Joseph toiled together,

Mary was watching them,
Thinking of kings in the wintry weather

At Bethlehem.
Mary sat in the corner thinking,

Jesus had grown a man;
One by one her hopes were sinking

As the years ran.
Jesus and Joseph toiled together,

Mary's thoughts were far--
Angels sang in the wintry weather

Under a star.
RIVERS TO THE SEA

Mary sat in the corner weeping,
Bitter and hot her tears--

Little faith were the angels keeping
All the years.

THE CARPENTER'S SON
THE summer dawn came over-soon,

The earth was like hot iron at noon
In Nazareth;

There fell no rain to ease the heat,
And dusk drew on with tired feet

And stifled breath.
The shop was low and hot and square,

And fresh-cut wood made sharp the air,
While all day long

The saw went tearing thru the oak
That moaned as tho' the tree's heart broke

Beneath its wrong.
The narrow street was full of cries,

Of bickering and snarling lies
In many keys--

RIVERS TO THE SEA
The tongues of Egypt and of Rome

And lands beyond the shifting foam
Of windy seas.

Sometimes a ruler riding fast
Scattered the dark crowds as he passed,

And drove them close
In doorways, drawing broken breath

Lest they be trampled to their death
Where the dust rose.

There in the gathering night and noise
A group of Galilean boys

Crowding to see
Gray Joseph toiling with his son,

Saw Jesus, when the task was done,
Turn wearily.

He passed them by with hurried tread
Silently, nor raised his head,

He who looked up
RIVERS TO THE SEA

Drinking all beauty from his birth
Out of the heaven and the earth

As from a cup.
And Mary, who was growing old,

Knew that the pottage would be cold
When he returned;

He hungered only for the night,
And westward, bending sharp and bright,

The thin moon burned.
He reached the open western gate

Where whining halt and leper wait,
And came at last

To the blue desert, where the deep
Great seas of twilight lay asleep,

Windless and vast.
With shining eyes the stars awoke,

The dew lay heavy on his cloak,
The world was dim;

RIVERS TO THE SEA
And in the stillness he could hear

His secret thoughts draw very near
And call to him.

Faint voices lifted shrill with pain
And multitudinous as rain;

• wretched [´retʃid] a.可怜的；倒霉的 (初中英语单词)
• garment [´gɑ:mənt] n.衣服，外衣 (初中英语单词)
• coarse [kɔ:s] a.粗(糙)的；粗鲁的 (初中英语单词)
• scientific [,saiən´tifik] a.科学(上)的 (初中英语单词)
• humble [´hʌmbəl] a.谦卑的 vt.贬抑 (初中英语单词)
• thirst [θə:st] n.渴，口渴；渴望 (初中英语单词)
• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)
• midnight [´midnait] n.午夜；漆黑 (初中英语单词)
• western [´westən] a.西的；西方的 (初中英语单词)
• twilight [´twailait] n.黎明；黄昏 (初中英语单词)
• stately [´steitli] a.庄严的，雄伟的 (高中英语单词)
• mantle [´mæntl] n.斗蓬 v.覆盖；笼罩 (高中英语单词)
• throne [θrəun] n.宝座；王位 (高中英语单词)
• pitiful [´pitifəl] a.可怜的；慈悲的 (高中英语单词)
• profound [prə´faund] a.深奥的；渊博的 (高中英语单词)
• crowded [´kraudid] a.充(拥)满了的 (高中英语单词)
• hurried [´hʌrid] a.仓促的，慌忙的 (高中英语单词)
• westward [´westwəd] a.向西的 n.西方；西部 (高中英语单词)
• stillness [´stilnis] n.不动；无声，寂静 (高中英语单词)
• shrill [ʃril] a.(声音)尖锐的 (高中英语单词)
• far-off [´fɑ:rɔ:f] a.远方的，遥远的 (英语四级单词)
• tattered [´tætəd] a.(衣服等)破烂的 (英语四级单词)
• wooded [´wudid] a.多树林的 (英语四级单词)
• wondrous [´wʌndrəs] a.极好的 ad.惊人地 (英语四级单词)
• speedy [´spi:di] a.快的，迅速的 (英语四级单词)
• drawing [´drɔ:iŋ] n.画图；制图；图样 (英语四级单词)
• gathering [´gæðəriŋ] n.集会，聚集 (英语四级单词)
• vehement [´viəmənt] a.猛烈的；热烈的 (英语六级单词)
• tremulous [´tremjuləs] a.发抖的；震颤的 (英语六级单词)
• wintry [´wintri] a.冬天的；荒凉的 (英语六级单词)