The Complete Poems by Robert Graves

Author:Robert Graves
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780241197677
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2013-04-08T04:00:00+00:00

OR TO PERISH BEFORE DAY

The pupils of the eye expand

And from near-nothings build up sight;

The pupil of the heart, the ghost,

Swelling parades the dewy land:

With cowardice and with self-esteem

Makes terror in the track that through

The fragrant spotted pasture runs;

And a bird wails across the dream.

Now, if no heavenly window shines

Nor angel-voices cheer the way,

The ghost will overbear the man

And mark his head with fever-signs.

The flowers of dusk that he has pulled

To wonder at when morning’s here

Are snail-shells upon straws of grass –

So easily the eye is gulled.

The sounding words that his mouth fill

Upon to-morrow’s lip shall droop;

The legs that slide with skating ease

Be stiff to the awakened will.

Or, should he perish before day,

He leaves his lofty ghost behind

Perpetuating uncontrolled

This hour of glory and dismay.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.