PHOENIX
THE sky of night is but the ebon door,
star-golden with nails of fire :
beyond, the unimaginable floor
is flecked with glory from the kindled pyre
of gift immortal in the mortal giving
and firth serene 'cross war,
wing worthiness and alchemy of living,-—
flooding with trust our gloom-sad corridor.
The phoenix egg of quintessential light
Death in the desert place
vainly encompasses : beyond their night
loves the archetypal Form of lovers' race
in Whom the shadow-barriers have vanished
and prison walls of name
come not between (for blended incense banished
their wraith in ashes winnowed by the flame).
A wan and worn earth sleeps in warless grave ;
Arabian phoenixland
fossils un habited shell—so save
toil of aspiring will to understand !
Other the thy my wakefulness that beckoned
Phaedrus on wing ward way—
child of the Sun whose wakening memories reckoned
the wing-bright peace of Solar Yesterday.
Vivid as almandine, world-hallowing feet
flame from the sunrise lair.
Uprush of wings matching the paths they beat
of crystalline blue diamond thoroughfare.
Tranquil the phoenix-poise of golden crested,
fleece-white and sorrow less
head of the undefeated vision who had nested
where on Time's moments looms the Everliving ness.
October 13, 1932.
Page-26