"To crown him with the fairest I can find,
"And makes me lover--not of Katie's face,
"But of her father's riches! O, high fool,
"Who feels the faintest pulsing of a wish
"And fails to feed it into lordly life!
"So that, when stumbling back to Mother Earth,
"His freezing lip may curl in cold disdain
"Of those poor, blighted fools who starward stare
"For that fruition, nipp'd and scanted here.
"And, while the clay, o'ermasters all his blood--
"And he can feel the dust knit with his flesh--
"He yet can say to them, 'Be ye content;
"'I tasted perfect fruitage thro' my life,
"'Lighted all lamps of passion, till the oil
"'Fail'd from their wicks; and now, O now, I know
"'There is no Immortality could give
"'Such boon as this--to simply cease to be!
"'_There_ lies your Heaven, O ye dreaming slaves,
"'If ye would only live to make it so;
"'Nor paint upon the blue skies lying shades
"'Of--_what is not_. Wise, wise and strong the man
"'who poisons that fond haunter of the mind,
"'Craving for a hereafter with deep draughts
"'Of wild delights--so fiery, fierce, and strong,
"'That when their dregs are deeply, deeply drain'd,
"'What once was blindly crav'd of purblind Chance,
"'Life, life eternal--throbbing thro' all space
"'Is strongly loath'd--and with his face in dust,
"'Man loves his only Heav'n--six feet of Earth!'
"So, Katie, tho' your blue eyes say me 'Nay,'
"My pangs of love for gold must needs be fed,
"And shall be, Katie, if I know my mind.
Pages:
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52