No More Learning

XLII

I walked in a desert.
And I cried,
"Ah, God, take me from this place! "
A voice said, "It is no desert. "
I cried, "Well, but--
"The sand, the heat, the vacant horizon. "
A voice said, "It is no desert. "



XLIII

There came whisperings in the winds
"Good bye! Good bye! "
Little voices called in the darkness:
"Good bye! Good bye! "
Then I stretched forth my arms.
"No--no--"
There came whisperings in the wind:
"Good bye! Good bye! "
Little voices called in the darkness:
"Good bye! Good bye! "



XLIV

I was in the darkness;
I could not see my words
Nor the wishes of my heart.
Then suddenly there was a great light--
"Let me into the darkness again. "



XLV

Tradition, thou art for suckling children,
Thou art the enlivening milk for babes;
But no meat for men is in thee.
Then--
But, alas, we all are babes.



XLVI

Many red devils ran from my heart
And out upon the page,
They were so tiny
The pen could mash them.
And many struggled in the ink.
It was strange
To write in this red muck
Of things from my heart.



XLVII

"Think as I think," said a man,
"Or you are abominably wicked;
"You are a toad. "

And after I had thought of it,
I said, "I will, then, be a toad. "



XLVIII

Once there was a man,--
Oh, so wise!
In all drink
He detected the bitter,
And in all touch
He found the sting.
At last he cried thus:
"There is nothing,--
"No life,
"No joy,
"No pain,--
"There is nothing save opinion,
"And opinion be damned. "



XLIX

I stood musing in a black world,
Not knowing where to direct my feet.
And I saw the quick stream of men
Pouring ceaselessly,
Filled with eager faces,
A torrent of desire.
I called to them,
"Where do you go? What do you see? "
A thousand voices called to me.