The times., 1898-05-01
Voices.

o, many -caverned sea, Mother Of Shells,
lmpart TO human the human truth
That haunts each echo of thy ceaseless song
see the silver surges thunder loud
And beard the shaking cliffs with hoary foam 1;
| wander where the armies OF the waves
Tumble inteTminably each on each
And reap with swirling scythes those tlnhhng
shells
That other waves have sown. Again stand
Beside the margin Of n sleeping sea.
All shining crystal clear in Summer dawn.
While soft whisper, like baby's breath
Informs the ultimate ripple Of each pulse.
And from this varied music OF thy heart
Whether in liquid lapis-azuli
OF a faT-spTeading peace beneath the sun,
Or from unrest unutterably wild,
Unutterably wild and desOlate,
That lifts along the pathways OF the storm,
The self-same message rings.
o. many -mountained Earth, hide not from me
The secrets of thy solemn litanies.
Suffer my soul to see an inner truth
In all the pomp of music that ascends
Eternaly toward the throne of the sun
Petition or thanksgiving, pain or JOY.
Or both. arise from the wings Of sound
And wake the sleeping moon with threnOdies,
And hush the wakeful night with happiness
The rivers sing. the laundering avalanche
Roars through a feeting triumph, the high hills
Touched by melodious minstTels Of the winds.
Utter their secrets, all the Summer trees
Clap loud their million, merry, little hands,
And so make musical the inner gloom
OF those dark woods where birds not 70 sing
Strophe and Antistrophe glorious swell
Through thy vast choirs and vaster choruses,
And the uplfted voices Of the hymn
The sef-same message tell.
o. many-chambered Air thou Breath Of Lie,
Tighten my darkness. suffer me to read
The voices manifold that range on high,
| hear the whisper of a far-Off storm.
And it nears and rises IN its might,
The rolling thunders roar a requiem
OF mans dead hopes. The hurricane descends
And scatters ruin Unexpectedly
It's screaming throat is but messenger
OF the mad winds, and every tempest yells
With frenZied voice n message holding Truth.
The lazy zephyrs whispering along
Tell the same story their puny pipes
As those great organ voices OF the storm
That roll in thunder Every gentle breath,
OF western breeze OF soft nocturnal wind,
Repeats in its own muffied melody
The secret of the air; and the moon hears
The message float upon her feecy floor
At midnight, and the sun receives II, too
And all the busy life beneath the sun
And all the myriad life beneath the Moon.
But we-our senses faint We hear 1t not
Read thou this message here. this message sung
Alike bv the wide sea and busy earth
And infinite air OF Heaven Heed thou this:
The forces that upTaise this anthem vast
Cry not Of Liberty, the rainbow gold
That all our poet voices cry to find.
But of obedience, labor. ceaseless toll
Freedom they know not-nOt the lightning sell
Building blue crooked arches over fame
Is free not the wild sea, wind, or cloud,
Or waterfall. Labor they sing and Toll,
The joint inheritance Of all mankind
Labor and high obedience 10 the Laws
That cannot change; this, with the knowledge
sure
That nothing that hath breath hath Liberty,
Natures inuumeTable voices sing.
The Everlasting Cause alone is Free
And naught OF His creation shares His Throne.
Black and White.