THE earth again like a ship steams out of the dark sea over The edge of the blue, and the sun stands up to see us glide Slowly into another day; slowly the rover Vessel of darkness takes the rising tide.
I, on the deck, am startled by this dawn confronting Me who am issued amazed from the darkness, stripped And quailing here in the sunshine, delivered from haunting The night unsounded whereon our days are shipped.
Feeling myself undawning, the day's light playing upon me, I who am substance of shadow, I all compact Of the stuff of the night, finding myself all wrongly Among the crowds of things in the sunshine jostled and racked.
The clouds go down the sky with a wealthy ease Casting a shadow of scorn upon me for my share in death; but I Hold my own in the midst of them, darkling, defy The whole of the day to extinguish the shadow I lift on the breeze.
Yea, though the very clouds have vantage over me, Enjoying their glancing flight, though my love is dead, I still am not homeless here, I've a tent by day Of darkness where she sleeps on her perfect bed.
And I know the host, the minute sparkling of darkness Which vibrates untouched and virile through the grandeur of night, But which, when dawn crows challenge, assaulting the vivid motes Of living darkness, bursts fretfully, and is bright:
Runs like a fretted arc-lamp into light, Stirred by conflict to shining, which else Were dark and whole with the night. Runs to a fret of speed like a racing wheel,
Which else were aslumber along with the whole Of the dark, swinging rhythmic instead of a-reel. Leaps like a fountain of blue sparks leaping In a jet from out of obscurity,
Which erst was darkness sleeping. Runs into streams of bright blue drops, Water and stones and stars, and myriads Of twin-blue eyes, and crops
Of floury grain, and all the hosts of day, All lovely hosts of ripples caused by fretting The Darkness into play.
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