A　NIGHTMARE
  LEAGUES　before　me；　leagues　behind；
  Clamor　warring　wastes　of　flood；
  All　the　streams　of　all　the　worlds
  Flung　together；　mad　of　mood；
  Through　the　canon　beats　a　sound；
  Regular　of　interval；
  Distant；　drumming；　muffled；　dull；
  Thunderously　rhythmical；
  Crafts　slip　by　my　startled　soul
  Soul　that　cowers；　a　thing　apart
  They　are　corpuscles　of　blood！
  That's　the　throbbing　of　a　heart！
  God　of　terrors！am　I　mad？
  Through　my　body；　mine　own　soul；
  Shrunken　to　an　atom's　size；
  Voyages　toward　an　unguessed　goal！
  THE　MOTHER
  THE　mother　by　the　gallows…tree；
  The　gallows…tree；　the　gallows…tree；
  （While　the　twitching　body　mocked　the　sun）
  Lifted　to　Heaven　her　broken　heart
  And　called　for　sympathy。
  Then　Mother　Mary　bent　to　her；
  Bent　from　her　place　by　God's　left　side；
  And　whispered：　〃Peacedo　I　not　know？
  My　son　was　crucified！〃
  〃O　Mother　Mary；〃　answered　she；
  〃You　cannot；　cannot　enter　in
  To　my　soul's　woeyou　cannot　know
  For　your　son　wrought　no　sin！〃
  （And　men　whose　work　compelled　them　there；
  Their　hearts　were　stricken　dead；
  They　heard　the　rope　creak　on　the　beam；
  I　thought　I　heard　the　frightened　ghost
  Whimpering　overhead。）
  The　mother　by　the　gallows…tree；
  The　gallows…tree；　the　gallows…tree；
  Lifted　to　Christ　her　broken　heart
  And　called　in　agony。
  Then　Lord　Christ　bent　to　her　and　said：
  〃Be　comforted；　be　comforted；
  I　know　your　grief；　the　whole　world's　woe
  I　bore　upon　my　head。〃
  〃But　O　Lord　Christ；　you　cannot　know；
  No　one　can　know；〃　she　said；　〃no　one〃
  （While　the　quivering　corpse　swayed　in　the　wind）
  〃Lord　Christ；　no　one　can　understand
  Who　never　had　a　son！〃
  IN　THE　BAYOU
  LAZY　and　slow；　through　the　snags　and　trees
  Move　the　sluggish　currents；　half　asleep；
  Around　and　between　the　cypress　knees；
  Like　black；　slow　snakes　the　dark　tides　creep
  How　deep　is　the　bayou　beneath　the　trees？
  〃Knee…deep；
  Knee…deep；
  Knee…deep；
  Knee…deep！〃
  Croaks　the　big　bullfrog　of　Reelfoot　Lake
  From　his　hiding…place　in　the　draggled　brake。
  What　is　the　secret　the　slim　reeds　know
  That　makes　them　to　shake　and　to　shiver　so；
  And　the　scared　flags　quiver　from　plume　to　foot？
  The　frogs　pipe　solemnly；　deep　and　slow：
  〃Look　under
  the　root！
  Look　under
  the　root！〃
  The　hoarse　frog　croaks　and　the　stark　owl　hoots
  Of　a　mystery　moored　in　the　cypress　roots。
  Was　it　love　turned　hate？　　Was　it　friend　turned　foe？
  Only　the　frogs　and　the　gray　owl　know；
  For　the　white　moon　shrouded　her　face　in　a　mist
  At　the　spurt　of　a　pistol；　red　and　bright
  At　the　sound　of　a　shriek　that　stabbed　the　night
  And　the　little　reeds　were　frightened　and　whist；
  But　always　the　eddies　whimper　and　choke；
  And　the　frogs　would　tell　if　they　could；　for　they
  croak：
  〃Deep；　deep！
  Death…deep！
  Deep；　deep！
  Death…deep！〃
  And　the　dark　tide　slides　and　glisters　and　glides
  Snakelike　over　the　secret　it　hides。
  THE　SAILOR'S　WIFE　SPEAKS
  YE　are　dead；　they　say；　but　ye　swore；　ye　swore；
  Ye　would　come　to　me　back　from　the　sea！
  From　out　of　the　sea　and　the　night；　ye　cried；
  Nor　the　crawling　weed　nor　the　dragging　tide
  Could　hold　ye　fast　from　me：
  Come；　ah；　come　to　me！
  Three　spells　I　have　laid　on　the　rising　sun
  And　three　on　the　waning　moon
  Are　ye　held　in　the　bonds　of　the　night　or　the　day
  Ye　must　loosen　your　bonds　and　away；　away！
  Ye　must　come　where　I　wait　ye；　soon
  Ah；　soon！　soon！　soon！
  Three　times　I　have　cast　my　words　to　the　wind；
  And　thrice　to　the　climbing　sea；
  If　ye　drift　or　dream　with　the　clouds　or　foam
  Ye　must　drift　again　home；　ye　must　drift　again
  home
  Wraith；　ye　are　free；　ye　are　free；
  Ghost；　ye　are　free；　ye　are　free！
  Are　the　coasts　of　death　so　fair；　so　fair？
  But　I　wait　ye　here　on　the　shore！
  It　is　I　that　ye　hear　in　the　calling　wind
  I　have　stared　through　the　dark　till　my　soul　is　blind！
  O　lover　of　mine；　ye　swore；
  Lover　of　mine；　ye　swore！
  HUNTED
  Oh；　why　do　they　hunt　so　hard；　so　hard；　who　have
  no　need　of　food？
  Do　they　hunt　for　sport；　do　they　hunt　for　hate；　do
  they　hunt　for　the　lust　of　blood？
  。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
  If　I　were　a　god　I　would　get　me　a　spear；　I　would
  get　me　horse　and　dog；
  And　merrily；　merrily　I　would　ride　through　covert
  and　brake　and　bog；
  With　hound　and　horn　and　laughter　loud；　over　the
  hills　and　away
  For　there　is　no　sport　like　that　of　a　god　with　a
  man　that　stands　at　bay！
  Ho！　but　the　morning　is　fresh　and　fair；　and　oh！
  but　the　sun　is　bright；
  And　yonder　the　quarry　breaks　from　the　brush　and
  heads　for　the　hills　in　flight；
  A　minute's　law　for　the　harried　thingthen　follow
  him；　follow　him　fast；
  With　the　bellow　of　dogs　and　the　beat　of　hoofs
  and　the　mellow　bugle's　blast。
  。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
  Hillo！　　Halloo！　they　have　marked　a　man！　there　is
  sport　in　the　world　to…day
  And　a　clamor　swells　from　the　heart　of　the　wood　that
  tells　of　a　soul　at　bay！
  A　DREAM　CHILD
  WHERE　tides　of　tossed　wistaria　bloom
  Foam　up　in　purple　turbulence；
  Where　twining　boughs　have　built　a　room
  And　wing'd　winds　pause　to　garner　scents
  And　scattered　sunlight　flecks　the　gloom；
  She　broods　in　pensive　indolence。
  What　is　the　thought　that　holds　her　thrall；
  That　dims　her　sight　with　unshed　tears？
  What　songs　of　sorrow　droop　and　fall
  In　broken　music　for　her　ears？
  What　voices　thrill　her　and　recall
  The　poignant　joy　of　happier　years？
  She　dreams　'tis　not　the　winds　which　pass
  That　whisper　through　the　shaken　vine；
  Whose　footstep　stirs　the　rustling　grass
  None　else　that　listened　might　divine；
  She　sees　her　child　that　never　was
  Look　up　with　longing　in　his　eyne。
  Unkissed；　his　lifted　forehead　gains
  A　grace　not　earthly；　but　more　rare
  For　since　her　heart　but　only　feigns；
  Wherefore　should　love　not　feign　him　fair？
  Put　blood　of　roses　in　his　veins；
  Weave　yellow　sunshines　for　his　hair？
  All　ghosts　of　little　children　dead
  That　wander　wistful；　uncaressed；
  Their　seeking　lips　by　love　unfed；
  She　fain　would　cradle　on　her　breast
  For　his　sweet　sake　whose　lonely　head
  Has　never　known　that　tender　rest。
  And　thus　she　sits；　and　thus　she　broods；
  Where　drifted　blossoms　freak　the　grass；
  The　winds　that　move　across　her　moods
  Pulse　with　low　whispers　as　they　pass；
  And　in　their　eerier　interludes
  She　hears　a　voice　that　never　was。
  ACROSS　THE　NIGHT
  MUCH　listening　through　the　silences；
  Much　staring　through　the　night；
  And　lo！　the　dumb　blind　distances
  Are　bridged　with　speech　and　sight！
  Magician　Thought；　informed　of　Love；
  Hath　fixed　her　on　the　air
  Oh；　Love　and　I　laughed　down　the　fates
  And　clasped　her；　here　as　there！
  Across　the　eerie　silences
  She　came　in　headlong　flight；
  She　stormed　the　serried　distances；
  She　trampled　space　and　night！
  Oh；　foolish　scientists　might　give
  This　miracle　a　name
  But　Love　and　I　care　but　to　know
  That　when　we　called　she　came。
  And　since　I　find　the　distances
  Subservient　to　my　thought；
  And　of　the　sentient　silences
  More　vital　speech　have　wrought；
  Then　she　and　I　will　mock　Death's　self；
  For　all　his　vaunted　might
  There　are　no　gulfs　we　dare　not　leap；
  As　she　leapt　through　the　night！
  SEA　CHANGES
  I
  MORNING
  WE　stood　among　the　boats　and　nets；
  We　saw　the　swift　clouds　fall；
  We　watched　the　schooners　scamper　in
  Before　the　sudden　squall；
  The　jolly　squall　strove　lustily
  To　whelm　the　sheltered　street
  The　merry　squall　that　piled　the　seas
  About　the　patient　headland's　knees
  And　chased　the　fishing　fleet。
  She　laughed；　as　if　with　wings　her　mirth
  Arose　and　left　the　wingless　earth
  And　all　tame　things　behind；
  Rose　like　a　bird；　wild　with　delight
  Whose　briny　pinions　flash　in　flight
  Through　storm　and　sun　and　wind。
  Her　laughter　sought　those　skies　because
  Their　mood　and　hers　were　one；
  For　she　and　I　were　drunk　with　love
  And　life　and　storm　and　sun！
  And　while　she　laughed；　the　Sun　himself
  Leapt　laughing　through　the　rain
  And　struck　his　harper　hand　along
  The　ringing　coast；　and　that　wind…song
  Whose　joy　is　mixed　with　pain
  Forgot　the　undertone　of　grief
  And　joined　the　jocund　strain；
  And　over　every　hidden　reef
  Whereon　the　waves　broke　merrily
  Rose　jets　and　sprays　of　melody
  And　leapt　and　laughed　again。
  II
  MOONLIGHT
  We　stood　among　the　boats　and　nets　。　。　。
  We　marked　the　risen　moon
  Walk　swaying　o'er　the　trembling　seas
  As　one　sways　in　a　swoon；
  The　little　stars；　the　lonely　stars；
  Stole　through　the　hollow　sky；
  And　every　sucking　eddy　where
  The　waves　lapped　whar