By the Aurelian Wall and Other Elegies

<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_102" id="page_102"></SPAN>{102}</span></p> <h2><SPAN name="SEVEN_WIND_SONGS" id="SEVEN_WIND_SONGS"></SPAN>SEVEN WIND SONGS</h2> <div class="poetry"> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0"><i>Now these are the seven wind songs</i><br/></span> <span class="i0"><i>For Andrew Straton’s death,</i><br/></span> <span class="i0"><i>Blown through the reeds of the river,</i><br/></span> <span class="i0"><i>A sigh of the world’s last breath,</i><br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0"><i>Where the flickering red auroras</i><br/></span> <span class="i0"><i>Out on the dark sweet hills</i><br/></span> <span class="i0"><i>Follow all night through the forest</i><br/></span> <span class="i0"><i>The cry of the whip-poor-wills.</i><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_103" id="page_103"></SPAN>{103}</span><br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0"><i>For the meanings of life are many,</i><br/></span> <span class="i0"><i>But the purpose of love is one,</i><br/></span> <span class="i0"><i>Journeying, tarrying, lonely</i><br/></span> <span class="i0"><i>As the sea wind or the sun.</i><br/></span></div> </div></div> <h3>I</h3> <div class="poetry"> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Wind of the Northern land,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Wind of the sea,<br/></span> <span class="i0">No more his dearest hand<br/></span> <span class="i0">Comes back to me.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Wind of the Northern gloom,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Wind of the sea,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Wandering waifs of doom<br/></span> <span class="i0">Feckless are we.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_104" id="page_104"></SPAN>{104}</span><br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Wind of the Northern land,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Wind of the sea,<br/></span> <span class="i0">I cannot understand<br/></span> <span class="i0">How these things be.<br/></span></div> </div></div> <h3>II</h3> <div class="poetry"> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Wind of the low red morn<br/></span> <span class="i0">At the world’s end,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Over the standing corn<br/></span> <span class="i0">Whisper and bend.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Then through the low red morn<br/></span> <span class="i0">At the world’s end,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Far out from sorrow’s bourne,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Down glory’s trend,<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_105" id="page_105"></SPAN>{105}</span><br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Tell the last years forlorn<br/></span> <span class="i0">At the world’s end,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Of my one peerless born<br/></span> <span class="i0">Comrade and friend.<br/></span></div> </div></div> <h3>III</h3> <div class="poetry"> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Wind</span> of the April stars,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Wind of the dawn,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Whether God nears or fars,<br/></span> <span class="i0">He lived and shone.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Wind of the April night,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Wind of the dawn,<br/></span> <span class="i0">No more my heart’s delight<br/></span> <span class="i0">Bugles me on.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_106" id="page_106"></SPAN>{106}</span><br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Wind of the April rain,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Wind of the dawn,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Lull the old world from pain<br/></span> <span class="i0">Till pain be gone.<br/></span></div> </div></div> <h3>IV</h3> <div class="poetry"> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Wind of the summer noon,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Wind of the hills,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Gently the hand of June<br/></span> <span class="i0">Stays thee and stills.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Far off, untouched by tears,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Raptures or ills,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Sleeps he a thousand years<br/></span> <span class="i0">Out on the hills.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_107" id="page_107"></SPAN>{107}</span><br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Wind of the summer noon,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Wind of the hills,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Is the land fair and boon<br/></span> <span class="i0">Whither he wills?<br/></span></div> </div></div> <h3>V</h3> <div class="poetry"> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Wind of the gulfs of night,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Wind of the sea,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Where the pale streamers light<br/></span> <span class="i0">My world for me,&mdash;<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Breath of the wintry Norns,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Frost-touch or sleep,&mdash;<br/></span> <span class="i0">He whom my spirit mourns<br/></span> <span class="i0">Deep beyond deep<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_108" id="page_108"></SPAN>{108}</span><br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">To the last void and dim<br/></span> <span class="i0">Where ages stream&mdash;<br/></span> <span class="i0">Is there no room for him<br/></span> <span class="i0">In all this dream?<br/></span></div> </div></div> <h3>VI</h3> <div class="poetry"> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Wind of the outer waste,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Threne of the outer world,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Leash of the stars unlaced,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Morning unfurled,<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Somewhere at God’s great need,<br/></span> <span class="i0">I know not how,<br/></span> <span class="i0">With the old strength and speed<br/></span> <span class="i0">He is come now;<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_109" id="page_109"></SPAN>{109}</span><br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Therefore my soul is glad<br/></span> <span class="i0">With the old pride,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Tho’ this small life is sad<br/></span> <span class="i0">Here in my side.<br/></span></div> </div></div> <h3>VII</h3> <div class="poetry"> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Wind of the driven snow,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Wind of the sea,<br/></span> <span class="i0">On a long trail and slow<br/></span> <span class="i0">Farers are we.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Wind of the Northern gloom,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Wind of the sea,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Shall I one day resume<br/></span> <span class="i0">His love for me?<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_110" id="page_110"></SPAN>{110}</span><br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Wind of the driven snow,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Wind of the sea,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Then shall thy vagrant know<br/></span> <span class="i0">How these things be.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0"><i>These are the seven wind songs</i><br/></span> <span class="i0"><i>For Andrew Straton’s rest,</i><br/></span> <span class="i0"><i>From the hills of the Scarlet Hunter</i><br/></span> <span class="i0"><i>And the trail of the endless quest.</i><br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0"><i>The wells of the sunrise harken,</i><br/></span> <span class="i0"><i>They wait for a year and a day:</i><br/></span> <span class="i0"><i>Only the calm sure thrushes</i><br/></span> <span class="i0"><i>Fluting the world away!</i><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_111" id="page_111"></SPAN>{111}</span><br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0"><i>For the husk of life is sorrow;</i><br/></span> <span class="i0"><i>But the kernels of joy remain,</i><br/></span> <span class="i0"><i>Teeming and blind and eternal</i><br/></span> <span class="i0"><i>As the hill wind or the rain.</i><br/></span></div> </div></div> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />