Aroundthehousetheflakesflyfaster,AndalltheberriesnowaregoneFromhollyandcotoneasterAroundthehouse。Theflakesfly!—fasterShuttingindoorsthatcrumb—outcasterWeusedtoseeuponthelawnAroundthehouse。Theflakesflyfaster,Andalltheberriesnowaregone!
MAXGATE。
THEPUZZLEDGAME—BIRDS
(TRIOLET)
TheyarenotthosewhousedtofeedusWhenwewereyoung—theycannotbe
Theseshapesthatnowbereaveandbleedus?
Theyarenotthosewhousedtofeedus,
Forwouldtheynotfairtermsconcedeus?
—IfheartscanhousesuchtreacheryTheyarenotthosewhousedtofeedusWhenwewereyoung—theycannotbe!
WINTERINDURNOVERFIELD
SCENE。—Awidestretchoffallowgroundrecentlysownwithwheat,andfrozentoironhardness。Threelargebirdswalkingaboutthereon,andwistfullyeyeingthesurface。Windkeenfromnorth—east:skyadullgrey。
(TRIOLET)
Rook。—ThroughoutthefieldIfindnograin;
Thecruelfrostencruststhecornland!
Starling。—Aye:patientpeckingnowisvainThroughoutthefield,Ifind
Rook。—Nograin!
Pigeon。—Norwillbe,comrade,tillitrain,OrgenialthawingsloosethelornlandThroughoutthefield。
Rook。—Ifindnograin:
Thecruelfrostencruststhecornland!
THELASTCHRYSANTHEMUM
WhyshouldthisflowerdelaysolongToshowitstremulousplumes?
Nowisthetimeofplaintiverobin—song,Whenflowersareintheirtombs。
Throughtheslowsummer,whenthesunCalledtoeachfrondandwhorlThatallhecouldforflowerswasbeingdone,Whydiditnotuncurl?
ItmusthavefeltthatfervidcallAlthoughittooknoheed,Wakingbutnow,whenleaveslikecorpsesfall,Andsapsallretrocede。
Toolateitsbeauty,lonelything,Theseason'sshineisspent,NothingremainsforitbutshiveringIntempeststurbulent。
Haditareasonfordelay,DreaminginwitlessnessThatforabloomsodelicatelygayWinterwouldstayitsstress?
—ItalkasifthethingwerebornWithsensetoworkitsmind;
YetitisbutonemaskofmanywornBytheGreatFacebehind。
THEDARKLINGTHRUSH
IleantuponacoppicegateWhenFrostwasspectre—gray,AndWinter'sdregsmadedesolateTheweakeningeyeofday。
Thetangledbine—stemsscoredtheskyLikestringsfrombrokenlyres,AndallmankindthathauntednighHadsoughttheirhouseholdfires。
Theland'ssharpfeaturesseemedtobeTheCentury'scorpseoutleant,Hiscryptthecloudycanopy,Thewindhisdeath—lament。
TheancientpulseofgermandbirthWasshrunkenhardanddry,AndeveryspirituponearthSeemedfervourlessasI。
AtonceavoiceoutburstamongThebleaktwigsoverheadInafull—heartedevensongOfjoyillimited;
Anagedthrush,frail,gaunt,andsmall,Inblast—beruffledplume,HadchosenthustoflinghissoulUponthegrowinggloom。
SolittlecauseforcarollingsOfsuchecstaticsoundWaswrittenonterrestrialthingsAfarornigharound,ThatIcouldthinktheretrembledthroughHishappygood—nightairSomeblessedHope,whereofheknewAndIwasunaware。
December1900。
THECOMETATYALBURYORYELL'HAM
I
ItbendsfaroverYell'hamPlain,Andwe,fromYell'hamHeight,Standandregarditsfierytrain,Sosoontoswimfromsight。
II
Itwillreturnlongyearshence,whenAsnowitsstrangeswiftshineWillfallonYell'ham;butnotthenOnthatsweetformofthine。
MADJUDY
WhenthehamlethailedabirthJudyusedtocry:
WhensheheardourchristeningmirthShewouldkneelandsigh。
Shewascrazed,weknew,andweHumouredherinfirmity。
WhenthedaughtersandthesonsGatheredthemtowed,Andwelike—intendingonesDancedtilldawnwasred,Shewouldrockandmutter,"MoreComerstothisstonyshore!"
WhenoldHeadsmanDeathlaidhandsOnababeortwain,Shewouldfeast,andbyherbrandsSinghersongsagain。
Whatshelikedweletherdo,Judywasinsane,weknew。
AWASTEDILLNESS
Throughvaultsofpain,Enribbedandwroughtwithgroinsofghastliness,Ipassed,andgarishspectresmovedmybrainTodiredistress。
Andhammerings,Andquakes,andshoots,andstiflinghotness,blentWithwebbywaxingthingsandwaningthingsAsonIwent。
"WhereliestheendTothisfoulway?"Iaskedwithweakeningbreath。
ThereonaheadIsawadoorextend
Thedoortodeath。
Itloomedmoreclear:
"Atlast!"Icried。"Theall—deliveringdoor!"
Andthen,Iknewnothow,itgrewlessnearThantheretofore。
AndbackslidI
AlongthegalleriesbywhichIcame,Andtediouslythedayreturned,andsky,Andlife—thesame。
Andallwaswell:
Oldcircumstanceresumeditsformershow,AndonmyheadthedewsofcomfortfellAseremywoe。
Iroamanew,ScarceconsciousofmylatedistressAndyetThosebackwardstepsthroughpainIcannotviewWithoutregret。
ForthatdiretrainOfwaxingshapesandwaning,passedbefore,Andthosegrimaisles,mustbetraversedagainToreachthatdoor。
AMAN
(INMEMORYOFH。OFM。)
I
InCasterbridgetherestoodanoblepile,Wroughtwithpilaster,bay,andbalustradeIntactfultimeswhenshrewdElizaswayed。
Onburgher,squire,andclownItsmiledthelongstreetdownfornearamileII
Butevildaysbesetthatdomicile;
ThestatelybeautiesofitsroofandwallPassedintosordidhands。CondemnedtofallWerecornice,quoin,andcove,Andallthatarthadwoveinantiquestyle。
III
AmongthehireddismantlersenteredthereOnetillthemomentofhistaskuntold。
Whenchargedtherewithhegazed,andansweredbold:
"BeneedyIorno,Iwillnothelplaylowahousesofair!
IV
"Hungerishard。Butsincethetermsbesuch
Nowage,orlabourstainedwiththedisgraceOfwreckingwhatouragecannotreplaceTosaveitstastelesssoul
I'lldowithoutyourdole。Lifeisnotmuch!
V
Dismissedwithsneershebackedhistoolsandwent,Andwanderedworkless;foritseemedunwiseToclosewithonewhodaredtocriticizeAndcarponpointsoftaste:
Toworkwheretheywereplacedrudemenweremeant。
VI
Yearswhiled。Heaged,sank,sickened,andwasnot:
Anditwassaid,"AmanintractableAndcurstisgone。"Nonesighedtohearhisknell,Nonesoughthischurchyard—place;
Hisname,hisruggedface,weresoonforgot。
VII
Thestonesofthatfairhallliefarandwide,Andbutafewrecallitsancientmould;
YetwhenIpassthespotIlongtoholdAstruthwhatfancysaith:
"Hisprotestliveswheredeathlessthingsabide!"
THEDAMEOFATHELHALL
I
"Soul!ShallIseethyface,"shesaid,"Inonebriefhour?
AndawaywiththeefromalovelessbedToafar—offsun,toavine—wraptbower,Andbethineownunseparated,Andchallengetheworld'swhiteglower?
II
Shequickenedherfeet,andmethimwhereTheyhadpredesigned:
Andtheyclasped,andmounted,andclefttheairUponwhirlingwheels;tillthewilltobindHerlifewithhismadethemomentsthereEffacetheyearsbehind。
III
Milesslid,andthesightoftheportupgrewAstheyspedon;
WhenslippingitsbondthebraceletflewFromherfondledarm。Replacedanon,ItscameooftheabjuredonedrewHermusingsthereupon。
IV
ThegaudwithhisimageoncehadbeenAgiftfromhim:
AndsoitwasthatitscarvingkeenRefurbishedmemorieswearingdim,Whichsetinhersoulathroeofteen,Andatearonherlashes'brim。