Le Roi S’amuse

Jove gazed On woven mazes Of patterned movement as the atoms whirled. His glance turned Into dancing, burning Colour-gods who rushed upon that sullen world, Waking, re-making, exalting it anew – Silver and purple, shrill-voiced yellow, turgid crimson, and virgin blue. Jove stared On overbearing And aching splendour of the naked rocks. Where his gaze smote, Hazily floated To mount like thistledown in countless flocks, Fruit-loving, root-loving gods, cool and green Of feathery grasses, heather and orchard, pollen'd lily, the olive and the bean. Jove laughed. Like cloven-shafted Lightning, his laughter into brightness broke. From every dint Where the severed splinters Had scattered a Sylvan or a Satyr woke; Ounces came pouncing, dragon-people flew, There was spirited stallion, squirrel unrespectful, clanging raven and kangaroo. Jove sighed. The hoving tide of Ocean trembled at the motion of his breath. The sigh turned Into white, eternal, Radiant Aphrodite unafraid of death; A fragrance, a vagrant unrest on earth she flung, There was favouring and fondling and bravery and building and chuckling music and suckling of the young. Jove thought. He strove and wrought at A thousand clarities; from his brows sprang With earnest mien Stern Athene; The cold armour on her shoulders rang. Our sires at the fires of her lucid eyes began To speak in symbols, to seek out causes, to name the creatures; they became Man. World and Man Unfurled their banner – It was gay Behemoth on a sable field. Fresh-robed In flesh, the ennobled Spirits carousing in their myriads reeled; There was frolic and holiday. Jove laughed to see The abyss empeopled, his bliss imparted, the throng that was his and no longer he.