Harvest   In the far dark of being, ere the flame Burst through time-rocks and leaped To immortality and the conscious sun, there came To the fallow field of my earth God's winds that reaped The spirit's harvest in the seed unsown: All the wild night's unstarred, unknown Gold seedlings swept into furrows of light, Planted anew in pure gold clay, and the raining suns and moons and stars Fed their delight. ... And now the flames burst through to meet The gold of the conscious sun: O Wheat Of fire and gold, when this new harvest's done, The stubble and chaff shall also be Golden unto eternity. Page-20

Pralaya   It is the hour of dark on land and sea: The moon with its pale dream-magic is dead, And the stars that spun forth our melody, Cold and uncreating, unsanctified... On the bosom of immortal worlds moves a hand Heavy with the weight of unblossoming power, To crush to leaden slumber the colours of earth, To a dreamless, senseless grey; Into the warm glory-heart of the buds, The sins fall chill and thick with their choking whispers, And darkling strangers submit to the purging curse...   O danceless hour, undaring even to move on Lest the one blessing of inaction be lost, You wait unquestioning the meaningless pain, This sti

Promise   When earth's dream-colours are gone, And you have kept the vow, Silently I shall come and stud The blue stars on your brow.   Through the temple will run a murmur, A noise of waters that roll, And in the clean white air a word Will move across your soul.   The shining fires will weave for you A raiment of golden skill; For you have burnt your thought out On the altar of my Will.   In the shimmering hour of morning When beauty is over the land, I'll keep my word and quietly come, And you will understand. Page-116

O Silent Love   O silent Love, where your pure footsteps tread, The paths of darkness break open in delight; Light floods the clotted anguish of the dead, Washes the ancient karmic vaults of night.   Pass soft: the ether's a-quiver with stars and flowers, And fires burn high in caverns broken and old; The earth lies tranced with beauty, far sun-powers Sweep vibrant through the spaces, winged with gold. Page-143

Unfulfilled Fulfilment   Within this deep fulfilment grows the vision of a richer glory, making unfulfilled our hearts. Our dreams in meeting kiss to momentary glory, and all eternity's white dreams pass unfulfilled... This mock of each fulfilment we must pass, pass its small completeness to gather all those dreamers' places beyond our lone time-paths. The emptiness of this fulfilment grows upon our vision's heart, our fear's heart that dreams the next quick empty moment like sudden death... and dreams too the fulfilment just beyond, — beyond our power: a blessing that shall turn the ways to meeti

Lila   What is it matters, crazy one? — The play of spirit in the universe, the soul dancing its myriad dances to the old remembered tune; the joy-tinks dancers intersperse among the stars, the heart's pursuit within the maddened fancy's whirl of One who dances opposite; the spirit's singing ecstasy in leaf and flower and powerful root, in wind and sun and the limbs of a girl, and leaping waves of the sea; the beat, the eternal rhythmic beat of pulsing blood, the swirl and sway, the poise, the peace, the contemplation, the miracle deep joy of endless interplay. Page-62

Within the Darkness   Everywhere in the depths of things A sacred river runs, A welling music ever sings Of strange and buried suns...   Farther and deeper down Time's dance The ancient waters flow, Cold stony law-towers swoon in trance, Dead orders whirl in woe;   Life's lavas burst, fierce fire-flakes fly, The fettered Dragon, free, In one leap swallows up the sky And sinks back in the sea.   The age-old world-stairs rock and crash, Far-flung in baleful blight; The rising dragon-waters smash Mind's pillared halls of light.   Primeval darkness holds all things, Numb lie all memories; But

The Key   There are no keys to the place of the Presence, We wait and wait outside; If you should hear the stir of His footsteps, Mingle in dust your pride.   Only His will shall open the strict gate, We wait until He choose; My key of white peace, your key of white passion, Will they be any use?   The sword of pain hangs over the doorway, Pray you, don't risk the door; 'Tis handsome waiting after the journey Bridging the farther shore...   But one in our midst, whom the urge could hold not, Sprang up with sudden start, And went to the silent doors of unawareness; The sword went through his heart.   And someone

Stone-dead   In the heart of the rockhold imprisoned, In the depth of the midnight cave, I have spent these long years of anguish, Stretching arms to you vainly to save.   The darkness has only grown deeper, The dryness has burnt up my eyes; If the being were cleft asunder, From the dead stone no streams would arise.   A weight as of granite ages Is upon me, and never a gleam Do you send of your beauty or sweetness — Not even by way of a dream.   Yet dim-groping within this mountain, Still seeking the golden springs, Sometimes I have thought maybe only It is You, folding me 'neath your wings. Page-129

When will it end?   When will this poor drama end? The tired heart begins to crack; How long to play on and pretend When Truth is ever calling back?   Back home to worlds beyond this show, To arms of wondrous tenderness, And eyes that understand and know, And a smile the very soul's caress.   Is it not time to go home still, And leave this pageantry and masque? What is the naked spirit's will, What does its deepest longing ask?   Oh, just to put by everything, Each single thing that holds apart, And quietly merge with all who cling In rapture to that loving Heart. Page-152