Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE SECRET, by JASPER BARNETT COUDIN


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE SECRET, by                    
First Line: The cedars hold a secret in their heads
Last Line: Goes on its way with death. No word comes back.
Subject(s): Death; Secrets; Dead, The


The cedars hold a secret in their heads
While whispering together; poplar-tops
Meet for a conference, but only sigh;
The birches are not tongueless nor the oaks.
In needless haste the winds go by and leave
Less than a hint of what their moods might tell.
The little rivers babble to the hills
Less than they know; in language strange to us
Each water-drop tinkles a mystery.
The birds cry out all day, but in their glee
Are cautious not to break forbidden news.
The ocean breezes murmur many things,
But not the one sure word; for taciturnity,
A spider's chronicle of lazy-day
In some untravelled corner tells us less.
The shifting glories of a sunset hour
Almost reveal the secret ere they fade.
A shrill outcry of crickets storms the dark
With untranslated syllables; and lo!
Night after night a crowded dome of sparks
Spells the old hieroglyph across the sky.
When a child laughs some helpless little word
Totters with heavy meaning, and is lost.
The fixed I Am of personality
Breathes a fine whisper, gone ere fully caught.
Deep is the after-stillness when a soul
Goes on its way with Death. No word comes back.





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