Well, there's the brazier set by the temple door: Blue flames run over the coals and flicker through. There are cool spaces of sky between white clouds -- But what are flames and spaces but eyes of blue? And there's the harp on which great fingers play Of gods who touch the wires, dreaming infinite things: And there's a soul that wanders out when called By a voice afar from the answering strings. And there's the wish of the deep fulfillment of tears, Till the vision, the mad music are wept away. One cannot have them and live, but if one die It might be better than living -- who can say? Why do we thirst for urns beyond urns who know How sweet they are, yet bitter, not enough? Eternity will quench your thirst, O soul -- But never the Desert's spectre, cup of love! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE LAST MAN by THOMAS CAMPBELL THE DREAMER by SHAEMAS O'SHEEL THE LOVE OF GOD by ELIZA SCUDDER AFTER THE NIGHT by NOUREDDIN ADDIS PRAYER FOR A CITY CHILD by DOROTHY P. ALBAUGH STANZAS IN THE MEMORY OF EDWARD QUILLINAN, ESQ. by MATTHEW ARNOLD |