3. A VOICE IN HEAVEN SINGS. Lo, now, in the motionless stone Life and Death are united for ever! Lo, Glory encircles the stone, The Soul gives a speech of its own To the beauty that perishes never. From the furthest fringe of the night, Drawn down to the range of thy light, 4. THE SIN. BLUE night. I threw the lattice open wide, I saw the watch-fires of the town and heard On the rib'd ledges of the darkening hills, Kiss'd into tumult by a wind of light. Whereat there swam upon me utterly Of sweet communing with some living Soul There was a buzz of revel in mine ears, Like bees within the brain. Then I was shamed By her pale beauty, and I scorn'd myself, White, dim, and breathed on by the common air. But, like a snake's moist eye, the dewy star I pray'd the lifeless silence might assume And be a beautiful and human joy To crown my love withal; and thrice the prayer The live-long night, the breathless night, I waited in a darkness, in a dream, Watching the snowy figure faintly seen, And ofttimes shuddering when I seem'd to see Gleam thro' the rayless eyes: yea, wearily I hearken'd thro' the dark and seem'd to hear Or the slow motion of anointed limbs Fearing the thing I hoped for, awful eyed, And sought a fluttering heart.—But all was still, Rebuking human hope, a deathless thing, When Shame lay heavy on me, and I hid My face, and almost hated her, my work, Because she was so fair, so human fair, Yea not divinely fair as that pure face Which, when mine hour of loss and travail came, Haunted me, out of heaven. Then the Dawn Stared in upon her when I open'd eyes, And saw the gradual Dawn encrimson her Like blood that blush'd within her,—and behold She trembled and I shriek'd! With haggard eyes, I gazed on her, my fame, my work, my love! She tingled with the milky warmth of blood: But dewily the bosom rose and fell, The lips caught sunrise, parting, and the breath I was as one Who gazes on a goddess serpent-eyed, And cannot fly, and knows to look is death. O apparition of my work and wish! |