Quick　visions　that　served　and　attended；
  Elusive　and　hovering　things；
  With　a　quiver　of　joy　in　the　splendid
  Wild　sweep　of　their　luminous　wings；
  He　dwelt　in　an　alien　glamor；
  He　wrought　of　its　gleams　a　crown；
  But　the　world；　with　its　cruelty　and　clamor；
  Broke　him　and　beat　him　down；
  So　he　passed；　he　was　worn；　he　was　weary；
  He　was　slain　at　the　touch　of　life；
  With　a　smile　that　was　wistful　and　eerie
  He　passed　from　the　senseless　strife；
  So　he　ceased　（is　their　humor　satiric；
  These　gods　that　make　perfect　and　blight？）
  He　ceased　like　an　exquisite　lyric
  That　dies　on　the　breast　of　night。
  THE　SAGE　AND　THE　WOMAN
  'TWIXT　ancient　Beersheba　and　Dan
  Another　such　a　caravan
  Dazed　Palestine　had　never　seen
  As　that　which　bore　Sabea's　queen
  Up　from　the　fain　and　flaming　South
  To　slake　her　yearning　spirit's　drouth
  At　wisdom's　pools；　with　Solomon。
  With　gifts　of　scented　sandalwood；
  And　labdanum；　and　cassia…bud；
  With　spicy　spoils　of　Araby
  And　camel…loads　of　ivory
  And　heavy　cloths　that　glanced　and　shone
  With　inwrought　pearl　and　beryl…stone
  She　came；　a　bold　Sabean　girl。
  And　did　she　find　him　grave；　or　gay？
  Perchance　his　palace　breathed　that　day
  With　psalters　sounding　solemnly
  Or　cymbals'　merrier　minstrelsy
  Perchance　the　wearied　monarch　heard
  Some　loose…tongued　prophet's　meddling　word；
  None　knows；　no　onebut　Solomon！
  She　lookedwith　eyne　wherein　were　blent
  All　ardors　of　the　Orient；
  She　spakeall　magics　of　the　South
  Were　compassed　in　the　witch's　mouth；
  He　thought　the　scarlet　lips　of　her
  More　precious　than　En　Gedi's　myrrh；
  The　lips　of　that　Sabean　girl；
  By　many　an　amorous　sun　caressed；
  From　lifted　brow　to　amber　breast
  She　gleamed　in　vivid　loveliness
  And　lithe　as　any　leopardess
  And　verily；　one　blames　thee　not
  If　thine　own　proverbs　were　forgot；
  O　Solomon；　wise　Solomon！
  She　danced　for　him；　and　surely　she
  Learnt　dancing　from　some　moonlit　sea
  Where　elfin　vapors　swirled　and　swayed
  While　the　wild　pipes　of　witchcraft　played
  Such　clutching　music　'twould　impel
  A　prophet's　self　to　dance　to　hell
  So　spun　the　light　Sabean　girl。
  He　swore　her　laughter　had　the　lilt
  Of　chiming　waters　that　are　spilt
  In　sprays　of　spurted　melody
  From　founts　of　carven　porphyry；
  And　in　the　billowy　turbulence
  Of　her　dusk　hair　drowned　soul　and　sense
  Dark　tides　and　deep；　O　Solomon！
  Perchance　unto　her　day　belongs
  His　poem　called　the　Song　of　Songs；
  Each　little　lyric　interval
  Timed　to　her　pulse's　rise　and　fall；
  Or　when　he　cried　out　wearily
  That　all　things　end　in　vanity
  Did　he　mean　that　Sabean　girl？
  The　bright　barbaric　opulence；
  The　sun…kist　Temple；　Kedar's　tents；
  How　many　a　careless　caravan
  'Twixt　Beersheba　and　ruined　Dan；
  Within　these　forty　centuries；
  Has　flung　their　dust　to　many　a　breeze；
  With　dust　that　was　King　Solomon！
  But　still　the　lesson　holds　as　true；
  O　King；　as　when　she　lessoned　you：
  That　very　wise　men　are　not　wise
  Until　they　read　in　Folly's　eyes
  The　wisdom　that　escapes　the　schools；
  That　bids　the　sage　revise　his　rules
  By　light　of　some　Sabean　girl！
  NEWS　FROM　BABYLON
  〃Archaeologists　have　discovered　a　love…letter　among　the　ruins
  of　Babylon。〃　　Newspaper　report。
  The　world　hath　just　one　tale　to　tell；　and　it　is　very　old；
  A　little　talea　simple　talea　tale　that's　easy　told：
  〃There　was　a　youth　in　Babylon　who　greatly　loved　a
  maid！〃
  The　world　hath　just　one　song　to　sing；　but　sings　it
  unafraid；
  A　little　songa　foolish　songthe　only　song　it　hath：
  〃There　was　a　youth　in　Ascalon　who　loved　a　girl　in
  Gath！〃
  Homer　clanged　it；　Omar　twanged　it；　Greece　and
  Persia　knew！
  Nimrod's　reivers；　Hiram's　weavers；　Hindu；　Kurd；
  and　Jew
  Crowning　Tyre；　Troy　afire；　they　have　dreamed
  the　dream；
  Tiber…side　and　Nilus…tide　brightened　with　the
  gleam
  Oh；　the　suing；　sighing；　wooing；　sad　and　merry
  hours；
  Blisses　tasted；　kisses　wasted；　building　Babel's
  towers！
  Hearts　were　aching；　hearts　were　breaking；　lashes
  wet　with　dew；
  When　the　ships　touched　the　lips　of　islands　Sappho
  knew；
  Yearning　breasts　and　burning　breasts；　cold　at　last；
  are　hid
  Amid　the　glooms　of　carven　tombs　in　Khufu's
  pyramid
  Though　the　sages；　down　the　ages；　smile　their　cynic
  doubt；
  Man　and　maid；　unafraid；　put　the　schools　to　rout；
  Seek　to　chain　love　and　retain　love　in　the　bonds　of
  breath；
  Vow　to　hold　love；　bind　and　fold　love　even　unto
  death！
  The　dust　of　forty　centuries　has　buried　Babylon；
  And　out　of　all　her　lovers　dead　rises　only　one；
  Rises　with　a　song　to　sing　and　laughter　in　his　eyes；
  The　old　songthe　only　songfor　all　the　rest　are　lies！
  For；　oh；　the　world　has　just　one　dream；　and　it　is　very
  old
  'Tis　youth's　dreama　silly　dreambut　it　is　flushed
  with　gold！
  A　RHYME　OF　THE　ROADS
  PEARL…SLASHED　and　purple　and　crimson　and
  fringed　with　gray　mist　of　the　hills；
  The　pennons　of　morning　advance　to　the　music　of
  rock…fretted　rills；
  The　dumb　forest　quickens　to　song；　and　the　little
  gusts　shout　as　they　fling
  A　floor…cloth　of　orchard　bloom　down　for　the　flash…
  ing；　quick　feet　of　the　Spring。
  To　the　road；　gipsy…heart；　thou　and　I！　　'Tis　the
  mad　piper；　Spring；　who　is　leading；
  'Tis　the　pulse　of　his　piping　that　throbs　through
  the　brain；　irresistibly　pleading；
  Full…blossomed；　deep…bosomed；　fain　woman；　light…
  footed；　lute…throated　and　fleet；
  We　have　drunk　of　the　wine　of　this　Wanderer's　song；
  let　us　follow　his　feet！
  Like　raveled　red　girdles　flung　down　by　some
  hoidenish　goddess　in　mirth
  The　tangled　roads　reach　from　rim　unto　utter…
  most　rim　of　the　earth
  We　will　weave　of　these　strands　a　strong　net；　we
  will　snare　the　bright　wings　of　delight；
  We　will　make　of　these　strings　a　sweet　lute　that
  will　shame　the　low　wind…harps　of　night。
  The　clamor　of　tongues　and　the　clangor　of　trades
  in　the　peevish　packed　street；
  The　arrogant；　jangling　Nothings；　with　iterant；　dis…
  sonant　beat；
  The　clattering；　senseless　endeavor　with　dross　of
  mere　gold　for　its　goal；
  These　have　sickened　the　senses　and　wearied　the
  brain　and　straitened　the　soul。
  〃Come　forth　and　be　cleansed　of　the　folly　of　strife
  for　things　worthless　of　strife；
  Come　forth　and　gain　life　and　grasp　God　by　fore…
  going　gains　worthless　of　life〃
  It　was　thus　spake　the　wizard　wildwood；　low…
  voiced　to　the　hearkening　heart；
  It　was　thus　sang　the　jovial　hills；　and　the　harper
  sun　bore　part。
  O　woman；　whose　blood　as　my　blood　with　the　fire
  of　the　Spring　is　aflame；
  We　did　well；　when　the　red　roads　called；　that　we
  heeded　the　call　and　came
  Came　forth　to　the　sweet　wise　silence　where　soul
  may　speak　sooth　unto　soul；
  Vine…wreathed　and　vagabond　Love；　with　the　goal
  of　Nowhere　for　our　goal！
  What　planet…crowned　Dusk　that　wanders　the
  steeps　of　our　firmament　there
  Hath　gems　that　may　match　with　the　dew…opals
  meshed　in　thine　opulent　hair？
  What　wind…witch　that　skims　the　curled　billows
  with　feet　they　are　fain　to　caress
  Hath　sandals　so　wing'd　as　thine　art　with　a　god…
  like　carelessness？
  And　dare　we　not　dream　this　is　heaven？to　wan…
  der　thus　on；　ever　on。
  Through　the　hush…heavy　valleys　of　space；　up　the
  flushing　red　slopes　of　the　dawn？
  For　none　that　seeks　rest　shall　find　rest　till　he
  ceaseth　his　striving　for　rest；
  And　the　gain　of　the　quest　is　the　joy　of　the　road
  that　allures　to　the　quest。
  THE　LAND　OF　YESTERDAY
  AND　I　would　seek　the　country　town
  Amid　green　meadows　nestled　down
  If　I　could　only　find　the　way
  Back　to　the　Land　of　Yesterday！
  How　I　would　thrust　the　miles　aside；
  Rush　up　the　quiet　lane；　and　then；
  Just　where　her　roses　laughed　in　pride；
  Find　her　among　the　flowers　again。
  I'd　slip　in　silently　and　wait
  Until　she　saw　me　by　the　gate；
  And　then　。　。　。　read　through　a　blur　of　tears
  Quick　pardon　for　the　selfish　years。
  This　time；　this　time；　I　would　not　wait
  For　that　brief　wire　that　said；　Too　late！
  If　I　could　only　find　the　way
  Into　the　Land　of　Yesterday。
  I　wonder　if　her　roses　yet
  Lift　up　their　heads　and　laugh　with　pride；
  And　if　her　phlox　and　mignonette
  Have　heart　to　blossom　by　their　side；
  I　wonder　if　the　dear　old　lane
  Still　chirps　with　robins　after　rain；
  And　if　the　birds　and　banded　bees
  Still　rob　her　early　cherry…trees。　。　。　。
  I　wonder；　if　I　went　there　now；
  How　everything　would　seem；　and　how
  But　no！　not　now；　there　is　no　way
  Back　to　the　Land　of　Yesterday。
  OCTOBER
  CEASE　to　call　him　sad　and　sober；
  Merriest　of　months；　October！
  Patron　of　the　bursting　bins；
  Reveler　in　wayside　inns；
  I　can　nowhere　find　a　trace
  Of　the　pensive　in　his　face；
  There　is　mingled　wit　and　folly；
  But　the　madcap　lacks　the　grace
  Of