DEMETER

I

Men, fires, feasts,

steps of temple, fore-stone, lintel,

step of white altar, fire and after-fire,

slaughter before,

fragment of burnt meat,

deep mystery, grapple of mind to reach

the tense thought,

power and wealth, purpose and prayer alike,

(men, fires, feasts, temple steps)—useless.

Useless to me who plant

wide feet on a mighty plinth,

useless to me who sit,

wide of shoulder, great of thigh,

heavy in gold, to press

gold back against solid back

of the marble seat:

useless the dragons wrought on the arms,

useless the poppy-buds and the gold inset

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