The poetical works of George MacDonald Volume Ii Part 44

To see thy creature thou wouldst crave-- Desire thy handiwork so fair; Then wouldst thou call through death's dank air And I would answer from the cave!

Would that thou hid me in the grave, And kept me with death's gaoler-care!

_WORDS IN THE NIGHT_.

I woke at midnight, and my heart, My beating heart, said this to me: Thou seest the moon, how calm and bright!

The world is fair by day and night, But what is that to thee?

One touch to me, down dips the light Over the land and sea.

All is mine, all is my own!

Toss the purple fountain high!

The breast of man is a vat of stone; I am alive, I, only I!

One little touch and all is dark-- The winter with its sparkling moons, The spring with all her violets, The crimson dawns and rich sunsets, The autumn's yellowing noons!

I only toss my purple jets, And thou art one that swoons Upon a night of gust and roar, Shipwrecked among the waves, and seems Across the purple hills to roam: Sweet odours touch him from the foam, And downward sinking still he dreams He walks the clover fields at home And hears the rattling teams.

All is mine, all is my own!

Toss the purple fountain high!

The breast of man is a vat of stone; I am alive, I, only I!

Thou hast beheld a throated fountain spout Full in the air, and in the downward spray A hovering Iris span the marble tank, Which, as the wind came, ever rose and sank, Violet and red; so my continual play Makes beauty for the G.o.ds with many a prank Of human excellence, while they, Weary of all the noon, in shadows sweet, Supine and heavy-eyed rest in the boundless heat.

Let the world's fountain play!

Beauty is pleasant in the eyes of Jove; Betwixt the wavering shadows where he lies He marks the dancing column with his eyes Celestial, and amid his inmost grove Upgathers all his limbs, serenely blest, Lulled by the mellow noise of the great world's unrest.

One heart beats in all nature, differing But in the work it works; its doubts and clamours Are but the waste and brunt of instruments Wherewith a work is done, or as the hammers On forge Cyclopean plied beneath the rents Of lowest Etna, conquering into shape The hard and scattered ore; Choose thou narcotics, and the dizzy grape Outworking pa.s.sion, lest with horrid crash Thy life go from thee in a night of pain; So tutoring thy vision, shall the flash Of dove white-breasted be to thee no more Than a white stone heavy upon the plain.

Hark, the c.o.c.k crows loud!

And without, all ghastly and ill, Like a man uplift in his shroud, The white, white morn is propped on the hill; And adown from the eaves, pointed and chill The icicles 'gin to glitter And the birds with a warble short and shrill Pa.s.s by the chamber-window still-- With a quick, uneasy twitter!

Let me pump warm blood, for the cold is bitter; And wearily, wearily, one by one, Men awake with the weary sun!

Life is a phantom shut in thee: I am the master and keep the key; So let me toss thee the days of old Crimson and orange and green and gold; So let me fill thee yet again With a rush of dreams from my spout amain; For all is mine, all is my own: Toss the purple fountain high!

The breast of man is a vat of stone, And I am alive, I only, I!

_CONSIDER THE RAVENS_

Lord, according to thy words, I have considered thy birds; And I find their life good, And better the better understood: Sowing neither corn nor wheat They have all that they can eat; Reaping no more than they sow They have more than they could stow; Having neither barn nor store, Hungry again, they eat more.

Considering, I see too that they Have a busy life, and plenty of play; In the earth they dig their bills deep And work well though they do not heap; Then to play in the air they are not loath, And their nests between are better than both.

But this is when there blow no storms, When berries are plenty in winter, and worms, When feathers are rife, with oil enough-- To keep the cold out and send the rain off; If there come, indeed, a long hard frost Then it looks as thy birds were lost.

But I consider further, and find A hungry bird has a free mind; He is hungry to-day, not to-morrow, Steals no comfort, no grief doth borrow; This moment is his, thy will hath said it, The next is nothing till thou hast made it.

Thy bird has pain, but has no fear Which is the worst of any gear; When cold and hunger and harm betide him, He does not take them and stuff inside him; Content with the day's ill he has got, He waits just, nor haggles with his lot: Neither jumbles G.o.d's will With driblets from his own still.

But next I see, in my endeavour, Thy birds here do not live for ever; That cold or hunger, sickness or age Finishes their earthly stage; The rooks drop in cold nights, Leaving all their wrongs and rights; Birds lie here and birds lie there With their feathers all astare; And in thy own sermon, thou That the sparrow falls dost allow.

It shall not cause me any alarm, For neither so comes the bird to harm Seeing our father, thou hast said, Is by the sparrow's dying bed; Therefore it is a blessed place, And the sparrow in high grace.

It cometh therefore to this, Lord: I have considered thy word, And henceforth will be thy bird.

_THE WIND OF THE WORLD_.

Chained is the Spring. The Night-wind bold Blows over the hard earth; Time is not more confused and cold, Nor keeps more wintry mirth.

Yet blow, and roll the world about-- Blow, Time, blow, winter's Wind!

Through c.h.i.n.ks of time heaven peepeth out, And Spring the frost behind.

_SABBATH BELLS_.

Oh holy Sabbath bells, Ye have a pleasant voice!

Through all the land your music swells, And man with one commandment tells To rest and to rejoice.

As birds rejoice to flee From dark and stormy skies To brighter lands beyond the sea Where skies are calm, and wings are free To wander and to rise;

As thirsty travellers sing, Through desert paths that pa.s.s, To hear the welcome waters spring, And see, beyond the spray they fling Tall trees and waving gra.s.s;

So we rejoice to know Your melody begun; For when our paths are parched below Ye tell us where green pastures glow And living waters run.

LONDON, _December_ 15, 1840.

_FIGHTING_.

Here is a temple strangely wrought: Within it I can see Two spirits of a diverse thought Contend for mastery.

One is an angel fair and bright, Adown the aisle comes he, Adown the aisle in raiment white, A creature fair to see.

The other wears an evil mien, And he hath doubtless slipt, A fearful being dark and lean, Up from the mouldy crypt.

Is that the roof that grows so black?

Did some one call my name?

Was it the bursting thunder crack That filled this place with flame?

I move--I wake from out my sleep: Some one hath victor been!

I see two radiant pinions sweep, And I am borne between.

Beneath the clouds that under roll An upturned face I see-- A dead man's face, but, ah, the soul Was right well known to me!

A man's dead face! Away I haste Through regions calm and fair: Go vanquish sin, and thou shall taste The same celestial air.