The Spider holds a Silver Ball In unperceived Hands - And dancing softly as He knits His Coil of Pearl - unwinds - He plies from Nought to Nought - In unsubstantial Trade - Supplants our Tapestries with His - In half the period -
An Hour to rear supreme His Theories of Light - Then dangle from the Housewife's Broom - His Sophistries - forgot.
Unto my Books - so good to turn - Far ends of tired Days - It half endears the Abstinence - And Pain - is missed - in Praise - As Flavors - cheer Retarded Guests With Banquettings to be - So Spices - stimulate the time Till my small Library -
It may be Wilderness - without - Far feet of failing Men - But Holiday - excludes the night - And it is Bells - within -
I thank these Kinsmen of the Shelf - Their Countenances Kid Enamor - in Prospective - And satisfy - obtained.
He found my Being - set it up - Adjusted it to place - Then carved his name - upon it - And bade it to the East Be faithful - in his absence - And he would come again - With Equipage of Amber - That time - to take it Home.
Of Brussels - it was not - Of Kidderminster? Nay - The Winds did buy it of the Woods - Then - sell it unto me It was a gentle price - The poorest - could afford - It was within the frugal purse Of Beggar - or of Bird -
Of small and spicy Breadths - In hue - a mellow Dun - Of Sunshine - and of Sere - Composed - But, principally - of Sun -
The Wind - unrolled it fast - And spread it on the Ground - Upholsterer of the Pines - is He - Upholsterer - of the Pond.
A still - Volcano - Life - That flickered in the night - When it was dark enough to do Without erasing sight - A quiet - Earthquake Style - Too subtle to suspect By natures this side Naples - The North cannot detect
The Solemn - Torrid - Symbol - The lips that never lie - Whose hissing Corals part - and shut - And Cities - ooze away.
You know that Portrait in the Moon - So tell me Who 'tis like - The very Brow - the stooping eyes - A-fog for - Say - Whose Sake? The very Pattern of the Cheek - It varies - in the Chin - But - Ishmael - since we met - 'tis long - And fashions - intervene -
When Moon's at full - 'Tis Thou - I say - My lips just hold the name - When crescent - Thou art worn - I note - But - there - the Golden Same -
And when - Some Night - Bold - slashing Clouds Cut Thee away from Me - That's easier - than the other film That glazes Holiday.
Better - than Music! For I - who heard it - I was used - to the Birds - before - This - was different - 'Twas Translation - Of all tunes I knew - and more - 'Twas'nt contained - like other stanza - No one could play it - the second time - But the Composer - perfect Mozart - Perish with him - that keyless Rhyme!
So - Children - told how Brooks in Eden - Bubbled a better - melody - Quaintly infer - Eve's great surrender - Urging the feet - that would - not - fly -
Children - matured - are wiser - mostly - Eden - a legend - dimly told - Eve - and the Anguish - Grandame's story - But - I was telling a tune - I heard -
Not such a strain - the Church - baptizes - When the last Saint - goes up the Aisles - Not such a stanza splits the silence - When the Redemption strikes her Bells -
Let me not spill - it's smallest cadence - Humming - for promise - when alone - Humming - until my faint Rehearsal - Drop into tune - around the Throne.
At least - to pray - is left - is left - Oh Jesus - in the Air - I know not which thy chamber is - I'm knocking - everywhere - Thou settest Earthquake in the South - And Maelstrom, in the Sea - Say, Jesus Christ of Nazareth - Hast thou no Arm for Me?
This World is not Conclusion. A sequel stands beyond - Invisible, as Music - But positive, as Sound - It beckons, and it baffles - Philosophy, dont know - And through a Riddle, at the last - Sagacity, must go - To guess it, puzzles scholars - To gain it, Men have borne Contempt of Generations And Crucifixion, shown - Faith slips - and laughs, and rallies - Blushes, if any see - Plucks at a twig of Evidence - And asks a Vane, the way - Much Gesture, from the Pulpit - Strong Hallelujahs roll - Narcotics cannot still the Tooth That nibbles at the soul.
Had I presumed to hope - The loss had been to Me A Value - for the Greatness'Sake - As Giants - gone away - Had I presumed to gain A Favor so remote - The failure but confirm the Grace In further Infinite -
'Tis failure - not of Hope - But resolute Despair - Advancing on Celestial Lists - With faint - Terrestrial power -
'Tis Honor - though I die - For That no Man obtain Till He be justified by Death - This - is the Second Gain.