Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, CIRCUMSTANCE, by HAROLD CALEB DALTON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

CIRCUMSTANCE, by                    
First Line: Cleptra flew silently, her head held low
Last Line: A band of angels soared into the setting sun.
Alternate Author Name(s): Dalton, Power


Cleptra flew silently, her head held low,
Motioning the others to follow in a slow line,
Turning from their whipping wings and the restless shine
Of their eager eyes.
Cleptra flew steadily, watching the earth below,
Not once did she look to the gold flowering skies.

This was a hard task and one she must not shirk.
Others had tried and failed, now Cleptra must succeed;
They may have cared little, great was her need,
This was her high chance!
Faith had been shown in her, giving her this work,
Now she must prove her strength by molding circumstance.

This child had been sent for many times before,
But there were two to guard him, instead of one,
Father and mother -- they left nothing undone,
Love of two is strong!
The angels sent to take him found an iron bolted door,
The child must go to others who had waited long.

He must wake love in others as he had in these,
They had been self-wrapt, indifferent, till he came
Drawing them, whispering to each the other's name . . .
Till their cold eyes met.
When he was born to them they skimmed the deepest seas,
The pain that pried their hearts loose, they would not forget.

Cleptra came at dawn to the house of the child,
Her brow was firm, her cool hands stretched out to take,
Hours she worked to lead the child down to the lake,
He must go alone . . .
When the mother drooped wearily Cleptra smiled,
The father was in the ravine painting colorful stone.

Cleptra was swift now . . . Bathers on the beach
Tossed light laughter and green water in the glinting air,
A loud cry is feeble when there is none to care
The child went down . . . down . . .
Only a small pebble's fling beyond their reach;
But two, a youth and woman made Cleptra frown.

These were two prescient ones, they were light in flesh,
Cleptra threw wing shadows across their quick eyes,
She beat the wind to stifle the child's cries,
The angels crowded 'round;
Out of light and tumult they wove a blinding mesh,
Hurrying, stunned, the two searched for the dying sound.

The youth leapt in, the woman ran to the men,
"A child cried and went down!" The angels fought for time,
Their whiping wings turned the sunny lake cold as rime --
Ice drove men ashore.
Only the youth undaunted dove again, again,
He rose, and Cleptra wept to see the thing he bore.

The woman had gathered help. They took the boy
Labored for hours over him, but Cleptra too
Worked as she prayed and hoped she might have strength to do --
At last Cleptra won.
Calling to the stricken, "You will find strange joy!"
A band of angels soared into the setting sun.





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