Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE COMET, by SAMUEL WILSON


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE COMET, by                    
First Line: For three nights had it marched across the / sky
Last Line: And so I knew that all was as before.
Subject(s): Death; God; Peace; Prayer; Dead, The


FOR three nights had it marched across the sky,
Increasing steadily, but no one marked
Its presence; still was heard the chapman's cry,
And still the clamor, as they disembarked
Rich cargoes from their laden argosies,
Was wafted landward by the western breeze.
Men lived and loved and sought Life's bauble prize,
Went each his wonted way, and little thought
Gave to the silent envoy of the skies,
But toiled and strove, not knowing what they sought.
So all was unforeseen upon that night
When came our folk in feast day raiment dight
To hear the minstrels sing their rondels gay
And watch the tumbling buffoons, lithe and droll;
Till at one wrench was roughly torn away
The veil of mist that hid the star-gemmed bowl
Of Heaven's dome, as by some peevish hand,
And all the portent saw. Like to a brand
Curved outwards as the sword the paynim wields
Who flouts the Faith in Palestine, it seemed,
While such a ruby as Golconda yields
In color, but of monstrous hugeness, gleamed
Deep set within the haft. The blade stretched far
From the moon's horn unto that lucent star
Which guides the sailor on the fickle sea.
Then, as we mazed stood 'mid doubts and fears
Of what we knew not, sprang forth suddenly
One Paul, a zany whom for many years
We had bemocked and jeered; a witless fool
Was he, but yet an ever-willing tool
To do what good he might in his small way.
But now a lambent fervor seemed to glow
In his dull eyes, as some bright torch's ray
Seen through the curling fumes of pitch and tow,
Gleams dusky-red. Though halting came each word,
'Twas clear and bell-like, so that each one heard
The warning, and as though unto him alone
It was addressed, and zany Paul cried thus,—
"Repent, ye people, beat your breasts and groan,
For your ill-doing now is come to us
The wrath of God; see how his crimson brand
Gleams dreadfully above the cringing land.
Another Sodom's fate awaits the world,
Grown heavy with much sin. Repent, repent,
Lest all unforewarned you be sudden hurled
To meet your God, lest when by Him is sent
His angel armed to marshal you to death,
Your fitful spark of light, God-given breath,
Be all encased in hardened sin and crime,
And He disown you."
Then went quietly,
From out our midst, and ere the matin's chime
Paul's soul passed from him very peacefully,
But we, with dread and wonder stupefied,
For a long instant silent stood, then cried
As with one voice, "Save and preserve us all,
O Lord,"—and numbing terror reigned
Through all the city; from the mighty wall
Which Odo's castle well from harm maintained
Down to the hovels by the harbor shore
The Fear of coming doom wild Rumor bore.
None slept that night, but street and square were full
Of kneeling forms, while trembling monk and priest
With words of comfort strove their fears to lull,
And shrived them. All the wonted night-sounds ceased,
All laughter, save where one still laughed aloud.
Who, reft of reason, danced amid the crowd
In maniac glee, though ere this dreadful night
He had as staid and wealthy citizen
Been held in good repute—an awful sight
To meet the fear-bewildered gaze of men!

Then came the dawn, and through the sickly gray,
Wan faces passed in pallid-hued dismay
At what had happed and what was yet to come.
Dead seemed the town, and dim wraiths flitted thru
The silent streets, where yesterday the hum
Of busy traffic rose; a scanty few,
Bold merchant spirits, ignored hardily
All portents,—strove their wonted trade to ply
As ere before, but unto small avail.
The marts were empty but the church was full,
And some with dull unknowing fears were pale,
And some were rapt in visions wonderful
Of a new birth and life, and some dark souls,
Deep-dyed in crime, wiped clean their blotted scrolls
With penitence sincere. None thought of Earth
Or Earth's fair treasures in his gripping fear.
The miser found his hoarded wealth but dearth,
And cast it lavishly as though 'twere mere
Cheap yellow grain among th' unheeding folk,
Thinking, perhaps, some mercy to invoke.
Thereby, when grim doom clutched the pallid world.
And by the harbor shore, deserted ships
Rocked idly at their anchors, all sails furled
The while their crews, with fearsome trembling lips,
Babbled unwonted prayers to God, the same
Who erst had been to them a jesting name
And butt for jeers and evil blasphemy,
So on the wharves in joyous conclave met
The bearded rats, who from Man's terror free
Held there high revel. Night was not as yet,
But a false night from sable storm-clouds came
And shut out day, till one great lightning flame
An instant showed the hillward climbing town
Caught in Fear's mesh.

Then fiercely drove the rain,
And washed the grime of sin and foulness down,
And sluiced the long-slimed alleys clean again,—
Beneath huge boulders loosed the matrix clay
So they rolled down the hillside, in grim play
Of mimic thunder rivalling the real,
Which ever and anon upon us broke
As very voice of God,—at every peal
Shuddered anew our numbly waiting folk
Thinking it Gabriel's trump. And all were sure
That now to sweep away the things impure,
The Lord had sent another cleansing flood
And all were doomed—for Lust and Greed and Vice
And Blasphemy, and wantonly spilt blood
Had tainted all of us. No ark was there
To save the race again, for God to spare
There were none worthy.

Through the night it rained,
And scarcely could we tell when day had come,
When suddenly it ceased. A silence reigned
Among us all, new hope had made us dumb.
But swiftly burst a clamor of great joy
Of fears diminished, fears which to destroy
No more was needed than this token frail
Of God's great mercy—mightily it leapt
Across the sky, above the people pale
A gorgeous arc of glory swung and swept,
A promise of forbearance, sky-displayed,
The rainbow's splendor all our fears allayed,
Though some still waited doubting for the night,
And did not join in the wild bursts of glee
Which welled forth, as with faces all alight
With joy new-born our folk danced merrily.
Scant few paid thanks for grace to God, most thought
That since for mercy they had erstwhile sought,
This granted, no more need for Him was there,
And what slight vestige of their fear remained
Was swept away when, thru the evening air
Clear, calm and bright, our anxious eyes we strained
To see the portent which had terrified
Our conscious stricken souls.

Its glow had died
Unto a pale yellow, it had shrunk
To almost—nothingness—"A puny thing—
To frighten men with!"—so quoth one and slunk
Away to do some evil fashioning
No doubt, for now Fear's hand was raised
From off the spring, and it leaped up amazed
At its compression. Vice again was lord
Of all our town; blaspheming oaths arose,
Again the miser sought his golden hoard,
Again each man held all the rest his foes,
And strove to overreach them, now again
The cry of innocence in dole and pain
Went by unheeded; for a silver piece
One slew his brother, and as I passed by
A tavern, yesterday a prey to peace,
But now agog with evil jollity,
A wanton laughed behind the half-shut door—
And so I knew that all was as before.





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