Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE WILDERNESS, by CHARLES LOUIS HENRY WAGNER


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE WILDERNESS, by                    
First Line: God! - what a forsaken place
Last Line: Was god!
Subject(s): God


God! -- What a forsaken place,
Nothing but trees,
Ghost trees, scrub oak
And rugged pine,
With an awful stillness everwhere,
No sound but the wind
As it swipes the bark
Of naked limbs,
And I am alone,
Alone
In this God's great wilderness,
Alone!

I looked at the stars,
Oh, the world seemed small,
I stooped to drink at the brook
And the white-faced moon
Laughed, -- laughed at me
In its depths;
Yet I am brave, -- still
I shuddered, --
It was the skull of the Universe
Leering at me,
At me!

God! -- What a forsaken place,
Hell's heaven to this,
There's a jagged knife in my back
Tearing my soul,
And no man is near;
'Tis fear,
Damnable fear;
Fear of the Silence,
Of the great immensity
Of nothingness;
My fear.

Yes, -- this is God's wilderness;
Why did I leave the beaten path?
Venturesome fool that I am,
Even the trees take shape
And taunt me;
What's that you say
Yon crooked, gnarled oak?
God has no wilderness
Save in my heart
And in the hearts of men
Like me.

God has no wilderness
Save in my heart?
If this be true
Then am I indeed a fool;
I looked again at the stars
And they sang,
They sang to me,
And the moon smiled
And kissed my eyes,
And lo! the gnarled oak
Was God!





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