A full-blown, modern, speculative sage Is on us, crammed with Egypt - with his dream Of Nile he seeks the folds of Bethlehem, And writes 'from Luxor' on the sacred page; The 'young child' came from Egypt; yet not so, As this vain scribe would have it - not the son Of an old Coptic frieze, but the Holy One Of Israel, Virgin-born! O shame and woe! But, O my Church, thou standest ever sure, Though meteors through thine open portals glow, Discolouring with strange lights, that come and go, Thine altars, and thy fonts, and vestments pure - Flashing their alien tinct on the true grain Of thy great dogmas - Evermore in vain. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A CERTAIN POET ON THE DEBATES by EDGAR LEE MASTERS THEY PRAISE THE SUN by JOHN CROWE RANSOM TUOL SLENG: POL POT'S PRISON by KAREN SWENSON HELEN OF TROY by SARA TEASDALE BALLAD MADE AT THE REQUEST OF HIS MOTHER .. PRAY TO OUR LADY by FRANCOIS VILLON THE SCARLET TANAGER by JOEL BENTON THE SHANNON AND THE CHESAPEAKE [JUNE 1, 1813] by THOMAS TRACY BOUVE |