No More Learning

And when I was hanged between earth and heaven they lifted up their
heads to see me. And they were exalted, for their heads had never
before been lifted.

But as they stood looking up at me one called out, "For what art
thou seeking to atone? "

And another cried, "In what cause dost thou sacrifice thyself? "

And a third said, "Thinkest thou with this price to buy world
glory? "

Then said a fourth, "Behold, how he smiles! Can such pain be
forgiven? "

And I answered them all, and said:

"Remember only that I smiled. I do not atone--nor sacrifice--nor
wish for glory; and I have nothing to forgive. I thirsted--and I
besought you to give me my blood to drink. For what is there can
quench a madman's thirst but his own blood? I was dumb--and I
asked wounds of you for mouths. I was imprisoned in your days and
nights--and I sought a door into larger days and nights.

And now I go--as others already crucified have gone. And think not
we are weary of crucifixion.
For we must be crucified by larger
and yet larger men, between greater earths and greater heavens. "





The Astronomer




In the shadow of the temple my friend and I saw a blind man sitting
alone. And my friend said, "Behold the wisest man of our land. "

Then I left my friend and approached the blind man and greeted him.
And we conversed.

After a while I said, "Forgive my question; but since when has thou
been blind? "

"From my birth," he answered.

Said I, "And what path of wisdom followest thou? "

Said he, "I am an astronomer. "

Then he placed his hand upon his breast saying, "I watch all these
suns and moons and stars. "





The Great Longing




Here I sit between my brother the mountain and my sister the sea.

We three are one in loneliness, and the love that binds us together
is deep and strong and strange. Nay, it is deeper than my sister's
depth and stronger than my brother's strength, and stranger than
the strangeness of my madness.

Aeons upon aeons have passed since the first grey dawn made us
visible to one another; and though we have seen the birth and the
fullness and the death of many worlds, we are still eager and young.

We are young and eager and yet we are mateless and unvisited, and
though we lie in unbroken half embrace, we are uncomforted. And
what comfort is there for controlled desire and unspent passion?