1.

Trust in the Unexpected –

By this – was William Kidd

Persuaded of the Buried Gold –

As One had testified –

Through this – the Old Philospher –

His Talismanic Stone

Discerned – still withholden

To effort undivine –

‘Twas this –allured Columbus –

When Genoa – withdrew

Before an Apparition

Babtized America –

The Same – afflicted Thomas –

When Deity assured

‘Twas better –the perceiving not –

Provided it believed –

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2.

How happy is the little Stone

That rambles in the Road alone,

And doesn’t care about Careers

And Exigencies never fears –

Whose Coat of elemental Brown

A passing Universe put on,

And independent as the Sun

Associates or glows alone,

Fulfilling absolute Decree

In casual simplicity –

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3.

She sweeps with many-colored Brooms –

And leaves the Shreds behind –

Oh Housewife in the Evening West –

Come back, and dust the Pond!

You dropped a Purple Ravelling in –

You dropped an Amber thread –

And now you’ve littered all the East

With Duds of Emerald!

And still, she plies her spotted Brooms,

And still the Aprons fly,

Till Brooms fade softly into stars –

And then I come away –

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4.

Ah, Teneriffe!

Retreating Mountain!

Purple of Ages – pause for you –

Sunset –reviews her Sapphire Regiment –

Day – drops you her Red Adieu!

Still – Clad in your Mail of ices –

Thigh of Granite – and thew – of Steel –

Heedless – alike – of pomp – or parting

Ah, Teneriffe!

I’m kneeling – still –

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5.

Who is the East?

The Yellow Man

Who may be Purple if He can

That carries in the Sun.

Who is the West?

The Purple Man

Who may be Yellow if He can

That lets Him out again.

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6.

They called me to the Window, for

“ ‘Twas Sunset” – Some one said –

I only saw a Sapphire Farm –

And just a Single Herd –

Of Opal Cattle – feeding far

Upon so vain a Hill –

As even while I looked – dissolved –

Nor Cattle were – nor Soil –

But in their stead – a Sea – displayed –

And Ships – of such a size

As Crew of Mountains – could afford –

And Decks – to seat the skies –

This – too – the Showman rubbed away –

And when I looked again –

Nor Farm – Nor Opal Herd – was there –

Nor Mediterranean –

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7.

This – Is the land – the Sunset washes –

These – are the Banks of the Yellow Sea –

Where it rose – or whither it rushes –

These – are the Western Mystery!

Night after Night

Her purple traffic

Strews the landing with Opal Bales –

Merchantmen – poise upon Horizons –

Dip – and vanish like Orioles!

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8.

Like Mighty Foot Lights – burned the Red

At Bases of the Trees –

The far Theatricals of Day

Exhibiting – to These –

‘Twas Universe – that did applaud –

While Chiefest – of the Crowd –

Enabled by his Royal Dress –

Myself distinguished God –

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9.

Exultation is the going

Of an inland soul to sea,

Past the houses – past the headland –

Into deep Eternity –

Bred as we, among the mountains,

Can the sailor understand

The divine intoxication

Of the first league out from land?

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10.

In falling Timbers buried –

There breathed a Man –

Outside – the spades – were plying –

The Lungs – within –

Could He – know – they sought Him –

Could They – know – He breathed –

Horrid Sand Partition –

Neither – could be heard –

Never slacked the Diggers –

But when Spades had done –

Oh, Reward of Anguish,

It was dying – Then –

Many Things – are fruitless –

‘Tis a Baffling Earth –

But there is no Gratitude

Like the Grace – of Death

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11.

With thee, in the Desert –

With thee in the thirst –

With thee in the Tamarind wood –

Leopard breathes – at last

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12.

I see thee better – in the Dark –

I do not need a Light –

The Love of Thee – a Prism be –

Excelling Violet –

I see thee better for the Years

That hunch themselves between –

The Miner’s Lamp – sufficient be –

To nullify the Mine –

And in the Grave – I see Thee best –

Its little Panels be

Aglow – All ruddy – with the Light

I held so high, for Thee –

What need of Day –

To Those whose Dark – hath so – surpassing Sun –

It deem it be – Continually –

At the Meridian?

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13.

Your thoughts don’t have words every day

They come a single time

Like signal esoteric sips

Of the communion Wine

Which while you taste so native seems

So easy so to be

You cannot comprehend its price

Nor its infrequency

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14.

My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun –

In Corners – till a Day

The Owner passed – identified –

And carried Me away

And now We roam in Sovereign Woods –

And now We hunt the Doe –

And every time I speak for Him –

The Mountains straight reply –

And do I smile, such cordial light

Upon the Valley glow –

It is as a Vesuvian face

Had let its pleasure through –

And when at Night – Our good Day done –

I guard My Master’s Head –

‘Tis better than the Eider-Duck’s

Deep Pillow – to have shared –

To foe of His – I’m deadly foe –

None stir the second time –

On whom I lay a Yellow Eye –

Or an emphatic Thumb –

Though I than He – may longer live

He longer must – than I –

For I have but the power to kill,

Without – the power to die –

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15.

Eden is that old-fashioned House

We dwell in every day

Without suspecting our abode

Until we drive away.

How fair on looking back, the Day

We sauntered from the Door –

Unconscious our returning,

But discover it no more.

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16.

Beauty crowds me till I die

Beauty mercy have on me

But if I expire today

Let it be in sight of thee –

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17.

I could bring You Jewels – had I a mind to –

But You have enough – of those –

I could bring You Odors from St. Domingo –

Colors – from Vera Cruz –

Berries of the Bahamas – have I –

But this little Blaze

Flickering to itself – in the Meadow –

Suits Me – more than those –

Never a Fellow matched this Topaz –

And his Emerald Swing –

Dower itself – for Bobadilo –

Better – Could I bring?

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18.

Wild Nights – Wild Nights!

Were I with thee

Wild Nights should be

Our luxury!

Futile – the Winds –

To a Heart in port –

Done with the Compass –

Done with the Chart!

Rowing in Eden –

Ah, the Sea!

Might I but moor – Tonight –

In Thee!

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19.

Only a Shrine, but Mine –

I made the Taper shine –

Madonna dim, to whom all Feet may come,

Regard a Nun –

Thou knowest every Woe –

Needless to tell thee – so –

But can’st thou do

The Grace next to it – heal?

That looks a harder skill to us –

Still – just as easy, if it be they Will

To thee – Grant me –

Thou knowest, though, so Why tell thee?

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20.

Tho’ my destiny be Fustian –

Hers be damask fine –

Tho’ she wear a silver apron –

I, a less divine –

Still, my little Gypsy being

I would far prefer,

Still, my little sunburnt bosom

To her Rosier,

For, when Frosts, their punctual fingers

On her forehead lay,

You and I, and Dr. Holland,

Bloom Eternally!

Roses of a steadfast summer

In a steadfast land,

Where no Autumn lifts her pencil –

And no Reapers stand!

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21.

What shall I do – it whimpers so –

This little Hound within the Heart

All day and night with bark and start –

And yet, it will not go –

Would you untie it, were you me –

Would it stop whining – if to Thee –

I sent it – even now?

It should not tease you –

By your chair – or, on the mat –

Or if it dare – to climb your dizzy knee –

Or – sometimes at your side to run –

When you were willing –

Shall it come?

Tell Carlo –

He’ll tell me!

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22.

Heart! We will forget him!

You and I – tonight!

You may forget the warmth he gave –

I will forget the light!

When you have done, pray tell me

That I may straight begin!

Haste! lest while you’re lagging

I remember him!

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24.

Tell as a Marksman – were forgotten

Tell – this Day endures

Ruddy as that coeval Apple

The Tradition bears –

Fresh as Mankind that humble story

Though a statelier Tale

Grown in the Repetition hoary

Scarcely would prevail –

Tell had a son – The ones that knew it

Need not linger here –

Those who did not to Human Nature

Will subscribe a Tear –

Tell would not bare his Head

In Presence

Of the Ducal Hat –

Threatened for that with Death – by Gessler –

Tyranny bethough

Make of his only Boy a Target

That surpasses Death –

Stolid to Love’s supreme entreaty

Not forsook of Faith –

Mercy of the Almighty begging –

Tell his Arrow sent –

God it is said replies in Person

When the cry is meant –

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25.

The Spider holds a Silver Ball

In unperceived Hands –

And dancing softly to Himself

His Yarn of Pearl – unwinds –

He plies from Nought to Nought –

In unsubstantial Trade –

Supplants our Tapestry with His –

In half the period –

An Hour to rear supreme

His Continents of Light –

Then dangle from the Housewife’s Broom –

His Boundaries – forgot –

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26.

Whoever disenchants

A single Human soul

By failure of irreverence

Is guilty of the whole.

As guileless as a Bird

As graphic as a star

Till the suggestion sinister

Things are not what they are –

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