I stood upon a mountain bare,
And night had wedded glorious Day,
Oh, tell me what has chanced here
That thou can’st wait so patiently?
What passions hast thou satisfied,
What strong desires hast vanquished,
That thou hast all things thus defied
And joy and sorrow banished?
Speak now, for of this mighty land,
I am the King with endless might,
I own the ground whereon you stand
And I will hear your tale this night.
Speak not so proudly foolish King,
I saw the Dawn that filled thine eyes,
When first you stepped so meek and mild
Into this world of tears and sighs.
Yea saw thee race when trees alone
Gave shelter in that wood below,
And weapons rude of sharpened stone
Protected them from ambushed foe.
Friendless I stood and gazed afar
Over that world of swamp and death,
Friendless, save for one distant star.
That spoke to me with bated breath.
Thus spoke the star from wintry skies.
And thus it spoke through ail the night.
“O mountain, know that soon thine eyes will see
The God that made thy might.
And He will make thee bare a son
That to thy heart will bring delight,
And glad thou’lt be to see him run
And gambol freely in thy sight —
O mountain, know that soon thine eyes
Will see the God that made thy might.”
And thus it chanced one summer morn.
When all below was clothed in white,
I slumbered, waiting for the dawn
When lo a Figure, clothed in Light
With gleaming Face and flashing Eye.
His white beard floating in the breeze,
Stood, with his arms raised to the sky,
The day broke red atwart the trees.
Then suddenly my body heaves,
The dreary forest opens wide,
A whisper passes through the leaves,
And from my breast clear waters ride.
Clear waters of a sparkling stream,
That fill my weary heart with mirth,
Came laughing lightly, as a dream,
Down from my breasts that gave them birth.
And tinged with yellow light they fly,
Down through the mist-clad swamp below,
All day I watched them rushing by,
Passing between my arms of snow.
Then in the stillness of the night,
I sought once more that gleaming Face,
But He had vanished out of sight.
Up through the endless halls of space.
Long years have passed, O questioning King,
And now you see me gaunt and old,
But once the valleys heard me sing,
Clasping a son with loving hold.
I watched him with a mother’s care,
And saw him grow to man’s estate,
And then, o’erwhelmed by nameless fear,
I saw him choose yon plain as mate.
And now you see him calm and strong,
With all his children scattered far,
Alas, my sight is not so long,
I know not where his footsteps are.
I only nurse his infants weak,
That start their unknown journeys here
But when they go I pray them seek
And tell me how their master fare.
And so I rest and wait the Day,
That he will come to me once more,
And I can wait, nor heed delay,
For I have waited long of yore.
And thus, O King you see me blind
To passion, sorrow or delight;
The star has told me by the wind,
To trust the God that made my might.
(R S Ward)
More Poetry from R S Ward:
R S Ward Poems based on Topics: Nature, Light, Dreams, Night, Fear, Speaking, Death & Dying, Kings & Queens, Sadness, Pleasure, Passion- The Crumbling Mound (R S Ward Poems)
- The Four Winds (R S Ward Poems)
- A Dream One Night (R S Ward Poems)
- Wambala of the Streams. (R S Ward Poems)
- Christ In The Forest (R S Ward Poems)
- The Nursery At Night (R S Ward Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: God Poems, Night Poems, Light Poems, Sadness Poems, Death & Dying Poems, Nature Poems, Faces Poems, Sense & Perception Poems, Dreams Poems, Kings & Queens Poems, Fear PoemsBased on Keywords: mist-clad