Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-11-08
COMO.
BY JOAQUIN MILLER.

COMO.
BY JOAQUIN MILLER.
The red-clad fishers row and creep
Below the crags, as half asleep,
Nor ever make single sound.
The walls are steep
The waves are deep:
And if the dead man should be tound
By these same fishers in their round,
Why who shall say but he was drowned?
The lakes lay bright as the bits ofbroken moon
Just newly set within the cloven earth;
The ripened fields drew round golden girth
Far up the sleeps, and glittercd in the noon.
And when the sun fell down, from leafy shore
Foud lovers stole in pairs to ply the oar.
The stars, as large as lilies, fecked the blue;
From out the Alps the moon came wheeling
The rocky pass the great Napoleon knew.
A gala night it was-the seasons prime.
We rode from castled lake to festal town,
To fair Milan-my friend and [: rode down
,By night, where grasses waved in rippled rhyme:
Aud SO what theme but love at such time?
His proud lip curved the while with Scorn
st thought oflove; and then, as one forlorn,
He sighed, then barred his temples, dashed With
gray,
gorgeous tige, lilly, flaming red,
So full Of battle, of the trumpetS blare,
OF old-time passion, upreared its head.
Igalloped passed leaned, clutched it there
From out the long, strong grass l held 1t nigh,
And cried, q Lo this tonight shall deck her hail
Through al the dance. Aud mark the man SHALL
die
Who dares assault, for good or i'll design,
The citadel where shall set this sign.
~.
ol1+ flor 10
That scornftll, cold, contem ptuous smile Of his!
Why, better men have died tor less than this:
Then in the hall the same old, hateful smile!
Then marvel not that when she graced the hOOr
With all the beauties gathered from the four
Far quarters of the world and she, my fair,
The fairest wore within her midnight hair
My tiger lily-marvel not say,
That he glared like some wild beast well at bay.
On, she shone fairer than the summer star,
Or Curled sweet moon in middle destiny;
More fair than sunrise climbing up the sea,
Where all the loves Of Adriana are.
Who loves, who truly loves, will stand aloof
The noisy tongue makes most unholy proof
Of shallow waters * All the While afar
From out the dance stood and watched my star
My tiger lily borne an oridamme OF war.
VI.
A thousand beauties blushed at loves advance.
Like bright white mice in moonlight at their
play,
The swift feet shot and glittered in The dance.
Oh, have you loved, and truly loved. and seen
Aught else the while than your own stately
queen?
Her presence it was majesty-so tall;
Her proud development encompassed all.
She filled all space / sought saw but her;
/ followed as some fervid worshipper.
Adown the dance she moved with matchless
grace
The world-my world--moved with her. Sud
] questioned whom her cavalier might be.
Twas he! His lace was leaning to her face!
/ clutched my blade; I sprang; caught my
And so stood leaning still as death.
And they stood still. She blushed, and reached
and tore
TIL G lily as she passed, and down the floor
She strewed its heart like bits of gushing gore.
TT was he said heads not hearts, were made to
break.
lie taught me this that night in splendid scorn.
I learned too well. The dance was done. Ere
morn
w e mounted-he and but no more spake $
An d this for Womans lovei My lily worn
In her dark hair in pride, to then be torn
An d trampled on, for this blood strangers sake!
Tw men rode silent back toward the lake
TW men rode silent down, but only one
Ro up at morn to meet the rising sun.
The walls are steep:
The crags shall keep
Their everlasting wrath profound
The walls are steep,
The waves are deep;
And if q dead man should be found
BY red-clad fishers in their round,
Why who shall say but he was drowned?
-Gdary.