class="t2">IN CONNEMARA

With eyes all untroubled she laughs as she passes,
    Bending beneath the creel with the seaweed brown,
Till evening with pearl-dew dims the shining grasses
    And night lit with dreamlight enfolds the sleepy town.

Then she will wander, her heart all a laughter,
    Tracking the dream star that lights the purple gloom.
She follows the proud and golden races after,
    As high as theirs her spirit, as high will be her doom.

AN IRISH FACE

Not her own sorrow only that hath place
Upon yon gentle face.
Too slight have been her childhood's years to gain
The imprint of such pain.
It hid behind her laughing hours, and wrought
Each curve in saddest thought
On brow and lips and eyes. With subtle art
It made that little heart
Through its young joyous beatings to prepare
A quiet shelter there,
Where the Immortal Sorrows might find a home.
And many there have come;
Bowed in a mournful mist of golden hair
Deirdre hath entered there.
And shrouded in a fall of pitying dew,
Weeping the friend he slew,
The Hound of Ulla lies, with those who shed
Tears for the Wild Geese fled.
And all the lovers on whom fate had warred
Cutting the Silver Cord
Enter, and softly breath by breath they mould
The young heart to the old,
The old protest, the old pity, whose power
Are gathering to the hour
When their knit silence shall be mightier far
Than leagued empires are.
And dreaming of the sorrow on this face
We grow of lordlier race,
Could shake the rooted rampart of the hills
To shield her from all ills,
And through a deep adoring pity won
Grow what we dream upon.

HOPE IN FAILURE

Though now thou hast failed and art fallen, despair not because of defeat,
Though lost for a while be thy heaven and weary of earth be thy feet,
For all will be beauty about thee hereafter through sorrowful years,
And lovely the dews for thy chilling and ruby thy heart-drip of tears.

The eyes that had gazed from afar on a beauty that blinded the eyes
Shall call forth its image for ever, its shadow in alien skies.
The heart that had striven to beat in the heart of the Mighty too soon
Shall still of that beating remember some errant and faltering tune.

For thou hast but fallen to gather the last of the secrets of power;
The beauty that breathes in thy spirit shall shape of thy sorrow a flower,
The pale bud of pity shall open the bloom of its tenderest rays,
The heart of whose shining is bright with the light of the Ancient of Days.

THE CROWN

I wore in joy a radiant star;
    Its rays flew forth into the night;
It made them glad who watched afar,
    And filled their gloom with happy light.

Their eyes no more the light may win,
    And all the loves are changed to scorns.
The rays of light pierce deep within,
    The star is now my crown of thorns.

THE EVERLASTING BATTLE

When in my shadowy hours I pierce the hidden heart of hopes and fears,
They change into immortal joys or end in immemorial tears.
Moytura's battle still endures and in this human heart of mine
The golden sun powers with the might of demon darkness intertwine.

I think that every teardrop shed still flows from Balor's eye of doom,
And gazing on his ageless grief my heart is filled with ageless gloom:
I close my ever-weary eyes and in my bitter spirit brood
And am at one in vast despair with all the demon multitude.

But in the lightning flash of hope I feel the sun-god's fiery sling
Has smote the horror in the heart where clouds of demon glooms take wing,
I shake my heavy fears aside and seize the flaming sword of will
I am of Dana's race divine and know I am immortal still.

ORDEAL

Love and pity are pleading with me this hour.
    What is this voice that stays me forbidding to yield,
Offering beauty, love, and immortal power,
    Æons away in some far-off heavenly field?

Though I obey thee, Immortal, my heart is sore.
    Though love be withdrawn for love it bitterly grieves:
Pity withheld in the breast makes sorrow more.
    Oh that the heart could feel what the mind believes!

Cease, O love, thy fiery and gentle pleading.
    Soft is thy grief, but in tempest through me it rolls.
Dreamst thou not whither the path is leading
    Where the Dark Immortal would shepherd our weeping souls?

THE CHILD OF DESTINY

This is the hero-heart of the enchanted isle,
Whom now the twilight children tenderly enfold,
Pat with their pearly palms and crown with elfin gold,
While in the mountain's breast his brothers watch and smile.
Who now of Dana's host may guide these dancing feet?
What bright immortal hides and through a child's light breath
Laughs an immortal joy—Angus of love and death
Returned to make our hearts with dream and music beat?
Or Lugh leaves heavenly wars to free his ancient land;
Not on the fiery steed maned with tumultuous flame
As in the Fomor days the sunbright chieftain came,
But in this dreaming boy, more subtle conquest planned.
Or does the Mother brood some deed of sacrifice?
Her heart in his laid bare to hosts of wounding spears,
Till love immortal melt the cruel eyes to tears,
Or on his brow be set the heroes' thorny prize.
See! as some shadows of a darker race draw near,
How he compels their feet, with what a proud command!
What is it waves and gleams? Is that a Silver Hand
Whose light through delicate lifted fingers shines so clear?
Night like a glowing seraph o'er the kingly boy
Watches with ardent eyes from his own ancient home;
And far away, rocking in living foam
The three great waves leap up exulting in their joy,
Remembering the past, the immemorial deeds
The Danaan gods had wrought in guise of mortal men,
Their elemental hearts madden with life again,
And shaking foamy heads toss the great ocean steeds.

A FAREWELL

Only in my deep heart I love you, sweetest heart.
    Many another vesture hath the soul, I pray
Call me not forth from this. If from the light I part
    Only with clay I cling unto the clay.

And ah! my bright companion, you and I must go
    Our ways, unfolding lonely glories, not our own,
Nor from each other gathered, but an inward glow
    Breathed by the Lone One on the seeker lone.