SHALL I SEARCH AND SEEK FOREVER?

Shall I search and seek
Forever
After a simple truth?
Shall I pray, and in my ferment weep,
Kicking down the skulls of old habits,
Knocking at the door of wisdom’s ruth?

Oh, I reach! -
Pray! Burst with speech,
Strive, cry, question, leap -
To no avail, the distance gone
Far, far too long;
I sleep in my confusion,
Dare the wild moon’s snows
And the trees’ fast sounds
To speak:

Hold tongue for the common sheep
But let ME listen.
MY feet tread the narrow sheet,
I keep the distant star’s watch,
I plumb the troubling deep -

Sssh, say not, you weak and feeble chatterer,
Keep that lissom thought,
That pounded-out half-breath,
Cheap observation,
Keep it - yours; mine steeped
In my soul’s heat is worth a million Solomons':

I want to make the dusted sands sing,
I ring the truth of the thundering well,
I keen the harboured noise of the pigeon’s wing
And steal the whisper from the death-bell’s knell -

I, in my free vision fleet
Must mark my hammered tune,
And in the hammering touch God -
And then have done.

4/10/99