This Land, Land Of Ours

This land, land of ours gloating with styles on this brown land of ours dry brown bread humble and desiring fire that quenches not at night more so past midnight when Shades and Shrouds roam and meet: together march in the cemeteries of the Earth. we will be known to eat the light that through and all around emanates just every night we need not hear amorous notes of nightingales no nor the wise jug-jug of the ancient owls. We need not. they bade me eat the bread and it was sour yet in that sour there was a sweetness I experienced not before the smell of ghosts and shrouds and yews all intertwined and mixed: was in enchantment? they bade me stop and 'Look! ' they said the fields and country are red all red not green: such a sight have you seen? ' I asked furtively: 'Why red? ' 'Ah! , ' replied a voice 'Is not blood red? ' 'How can they be so soaked in red? ' 'Ask other not me.' There is a red that quenches when it be so soaked we next had interruption of the red for midst the snows there was a cover on the land that color hid. I had not hollow eyes yet I became and more becoming, I, you see the incumbencies of a Poet Seer? You hear the whistle of the suffering? Forest upon forest cloud on cloud And covering all a helmet of gray skies That nigh to frowning is with winter chill Thrust in the heart of this helmet lights A sudden thunder clap that roars On yonder hill: And the first drops of rain fall Like wanton jewels of the wildest night I went to the palace of crystalline glass I saw it hovering in a field I saw it hovering in a country plain I saw it hovering amidst dancing mists I saw it, I saw it: with hollow eyes I trod the damp earth soaked with pieces of a broken mirror all the glory gone when once in palaces it shone and went the round of the palace rooms: the mirror I went to the palace of crystalline glass I saw it hovering in a field I saw it hovering in a country plain I saw it hovering amidst dancing mists I saw it, I saw it: with hollow eyes I trod the damp earth soaked with pieces of a broken mirror all the glory gone when once in palaces it shone and went the round of the palace rooms: the mirror on the poles the heads frowned grim and as the day waned more grim grew more dark and awesome more dark and cumbersome: to the palace of clouds I rode on a sleigh of gold made by the Muse with her a-riding two lovers? We were just riding and in those summit heights increasing my brain was ever working my Soul was ever-beating those summit heights we went and went how solid the clouds of fleece they were how solid, how solid! there is beauty on this world of ours amidst the ill and evil there lies beauty that shines more than the north star in the night when breezes blow and soft the currents flow round in the moon-lit lake without a sound: there is a beauty in the fields, the trees, the woods, the homely springs, the dark raw rocks and bays, the rustling seas, and the reeds soft-whispering the ripid vales, the ever-greening hills, the red dusk, sunset and the wanton night murmuring murmuring than humming of the bees on nectared flowers the beauty of sad eyes, the furtive glances, a thousand and one other joys and thrills, there is beauty on this world of ours. over the hill of Clouds wandered goblins green above an ancient moon around the night below the cliff a sea where swam open toothed sharks where the waters were bleak not blue and drear and green though it was not tempest. over the hills one by one there was a wind, a breeze that settled from the dusk installed there in its throne by the red dusk by the red dusk that passed. that ancient tiredness was closeted that ancient scent was smell of fish: blue waters were away blue waters were away. you you do not have that much to show to demonstrate to be so proud and haughty: was that the sign of inferiority? I saw a lightning pass and then it went all suddenly. across a strait there stood a colossus of wind and energy: there was a wistful thread of glass that hung from the old heavens with night dews that precipitated the morn was full of them the Dawn - of myriad eyes, it was. And on the roof they were playing marbles ancient Maltese game I heard the settling of each marble or the group as it settled on the roof cement all turning then sudden stopped and fell as tired drunkards in nocturnal revel. there were few towers rare that haunted the brain so yet! as yet! as yet! I saw those towers or some steeples red that mosque-like rose, other more pointed as pointed breasts or as thin swords to pierce up the skies. how wild the eyes of night can turn in the chill burning of the winter’s frost whilst icicles from unhappy trees descend and winter sits grim o’er garden and land in Hastings Gardens; while the lightning the hoary laughter of the gods recalls and the long fingers of it the thunderbolts of Jove repeat, recall: how wild the eyes of night can turn. there was competition, horses breathing hard, with verses on their tongues, they did not speak nor utter syllable, I saw them I saw them. Hurry! hurry! the clock-hands are turning! the dawn already is out and gone the day is not bustling but trembles and shakes with relative laziness: I saw a shadow pass so swift it was so swift yet my eyes saw and easy lost as saw the lanky shadow. in the mortuary dressed in white impeccable doctor suits ten hedgehogs bent in operation around the table: 'Hurry! hurry! , ' said one he had big spectacles on his nose and trembled. Frenetic panic in that room of formalin suddenly arose: there was a commotion of a hubbub of sudden voices arose a tall and respectable hedgehog who had been quiet reading a large newspaper that hid him almost: 'Ho! Heigh! is this not mortuary not an operating table? ' Then silence, silence fell and disseminated. Hard is the land Hard is the land And swarming with ants That prowl around: Swarming, swarming As they turn around Around, around, Abound. They were directing towards The mortuary or the operating Room? Towards the cluster A Rat ancient and old Was directing: With curiosity burning To watch ants building Ants that were building A tower high, a sort of Babel. It was over the humid land The river was passing By the river was gurgling Was the land sinking Was the land rising? Rising high rising high I saw reproduction rising high raising its head high its head held high: and life was streaming: the heavens that were frowning now were gleaming. from behind tinted spectacles I saw a new found land To my heart I wanted To keep the discovery Not share with humanity Disgrace! Disgrace! somebody shouted. 'Stop crowd! Stop! You will leave me in oblivion or give my dues that honesty requires to the best of our civilization? ' There was no reply. Loomed in the distant mists the Silent City. There was a rotten crowd Of Mushrooms: Yet Still they scented not And hung their heads At times At other times they ranted Shaking their heads here and There In quasi-rhythm: There was silhouette Coming For night with scimitar of a half moon Was on the earth, the turning Earth, Rapidly descending To his divided moiety of reign One by one the stars alighting. Began to shout the Chorus We be in the land of the Dark Walrus So we suspended laws that are now By Passed and forgotten: Now our brains think different O! how easy relative it was For writing in one tenth the size The reformed and evolved laws The other bulky plump and unwieldy laws replacing. Lank a Professor with a Bulbous Head And Half blonde half dark moustaches thin Trimming and Brimming: ‘O! O! O! the laws! Where the Codes they took from me? Were they not mirrors of the Codices venerable Where has our civilization gone astray? ’ He put his hands to his head Touching On that Bulbous Head The few lank ancient hairs Remaining. We were all oaring, oars that paddled To right, To left, Here, There, And the skiff of civilization moving With smile on its ruddy face displaying. Our Captain and our Leader said: ‘Slow! Slow! Direction good but slower Evolution is glancing forth More than a lance fast thrown We must be slower.’ Then Rose a Sailor and a Poet Seer ‘No sir, no sir, see how fast Earth be rotating and the other Bodies and thing of the celestial Spaces. We must not be less, and catch up With them.’ Then our Captain and our Leader With chin in hand Closed his mouth and ceased his ranting. Then said a Prophet-Eremite He was emerged just from His cave Where with beetles and rats and Animals He stayed. ‘We have a voyage before us We have a voyage before us There are these options: Either we stop Be fossilized: Either we move And with evolution grow.’ His eyes wide open wider, Wider grew And red: And Then he rent his clothes And said: ‘We, We humans of the noble blood That noble Through suffering of ages Have hesitation To move With Evolution grow and reach? ’ I I saw old ancient styles fall I saw of dogmatic forts walls crumble I saw Crowds rising after centuries’ sleep: I saw they rose at last and recuperated: I saw the waters rest from turbulence I saw the waters glide as evolution glides I saw that it was better then to turn to beauty I therefore went out when night was out I therefore had tears in my eyes of stars I had therefore sang so much of Evolution I therefore sang so much of civilization I sang an ever-growing evolution I sang not wars, prisons, or tortures I sang and sing civilizations new I re-write from the start, tabula rasa, I I re-write each time a new civilization I call on you, Earth-people, do the same: I call on you: Earth-people, fear not! I call on you: let all reform all ever I I will rest in peace replaced by you Earth-people I will feel my Soul rest, hear it whisper I will reside with Dawn, reside with Fire.’