The furnace licked and purred and rolled,

A laughing child held up its hands

Like dreadful torches, dropping gold;

For pain was dead at their commands.

8

8

Painless and wild as clouds they burned,

Till the restricted Rose of Day

With all its glorious laws returned,

And the wind blew their ashes away.

9

9

THE SEARCH-LIGHTS

“Political morality differs from individual morality because there is no power above the state.”

SHADOW by shadow, stripped for fight,

The lean black cruisers search the sea.

Night-long their level shafts of light

Revolve, and find no enemy.

Only they know each leaping wave

May hide the lightning, and their grave.

 Prev. P 8/151 next