Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, GLORIES, by NELSON ANTRIM CRAWFORD


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

GLORIES, by                    
First Line: Through the half open door
Last Line: Jostling to-day's glory of the west.
Subject(s): Churches; Cathedrals


Through the half open door,
Over the gray sidewalk,
In front of the many-spired Russian Cathedral --
Alien of aliens, here in the Occident --
Sweeps music,
Bitter, plaintive,
Yearning, turbulent,
Splashing purple, red, blue, gold,
Over the white sidewalk:
Vari-colored glory of the East
On the gray glory of the West.

Through the half open door,
Over the gray sidewalk,
Drifts incense smoke,
Curling in lavender spirals,
Now soft, now heavy,
Scented with a far, foreign odor,
Mingled with hesitating lilac fragrance
From the bush on the green parking:
Mystic glory of the East
With the simple glory of the West.

Through the door, opened wide,
On to the white sidewalk,
Pour the worshippers --
Aliens of aliens, here in the Occident --
With far-looking eyes,
With far-seeking faces,
With far-born turbulent tongues,
Jostling the kindly, contented, practical,
Conventional-voiced passers-by:
To-morrow's glory of the East,
Jostling to-day's glory of the West.





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