Songs of the Mexican Seas Part 3

Therefore the need of deeper deeps, Of denser shade for man and maid, Of higher heights, of cooler steeps, Where all day long the sea-wind stayed.

They sought the rock-reared steep. The breeze Swept twenty thousand miles of seas; Had twenty thousand things to say Of love, of lovers of Cathay, To lovers 'mid these high-held trees.

XXVI.

To left, to right, below the height, Below the wood by wave and stream, Plumed pampas gra.s.ses grew to gleam And bend their lordly plumes, and run And shake, as if in very fright Before sharp lances of the sun.

They saw the tide-bound battered s.h.i.+p Creep close below against the bank; They saw it cringe and shrink; it shrank As shrinks some huge black beast with fear When some uncommon dread is near.

They heard the melting resin drip, As drip the last brave blood-drops when Life's battle waxes hot with men.

XXVII.

Yet what to her were burning seas, Or what to him was forest flame?

They loved; they loved the glorious trees, The gleaming tides, or rise or fall; They loved the lisping winds that came From sea-lost spice-set isles unknown, With breath not warmer than their own: They loved, they loved,--and that was all.

XXVIII.

Full noon! Below the ancient moss With mighty boughs high clanged across, The man with sweet words, over-sweet, Fell pleading, plaintive, at her feet.

He spake of love, of boundless love,-- Of love that knew no other land, Or face, or place, or anything; Of love that like the wearied dove Could light nowhere, but kept the wing Till she alone put forth her hand, And so received it in her ark From seas that shake against the dark!

He clasped her hands, climbed past her knees, Forgot her hands and kissed her hair,-- The while her two hands clasped in prayer, And fair face lifted to the trees.

Her proud breast heaved, her pure proud breast Rose like the waves in their unrest When counter storms possess the seas.

Her mouth, her arched, uplifted mouth, Her ardent mouth that thirsted so,-- No glowing love-song of the South Can say; no man can say or know The glory there, and so live on Content without that glory gone!

Her face still lifted up. And she Disdained the cup of pa.s.sion he Hard pressed her panting lips to touch.

She dashed it by despised, and she Caught fast her breath. She trembled much, And sudden rose full height, and stood An empress in high womanhood: She stood a tower, tall as when Proud Roman mothers suckled men Of old-time truth and taught them such.

XXIX.

Her soul surged vast as s.p.a.ce is. She Was trembling as a courser when His thin flank quivers, and his feet Touch velvet on the turf, and he Is all afoam, alert, and fleet As sunlight glancing on the sea, And full of triumph before men.

At last she bended some her face, Half leaned, then put him back a pace, And met his eyes.

Calm, silently Her eyes looked deep into his eyes,-- As maidens down some mossy well Do peer in hope by chance to tell By image there what future lies Before them, and what face shall be The pole-star of their destiny.

Pure Nature's lover! Loving him With love that made all pathways dim And difficult where he was not,-- Then marvel not at form forgot.

And who shall chide? Doth priest know aught Of sign, or holy unction brought From over seas, that ever can Make man love maid or maid love man One whit the more, one bit the less, For all his mummeries to bless?

Yea, all his blessing or his ban?

The winds breathed warm as Araby: She leaned upon his breast, she lay A wide-winged swan with folded wing.

He drowned his hot face in her hair, He heard her great heart rise and sing; He felt her bosom swell.

The air Swooned sweet with perfume of her form.

Her breast was warm, her breath was warm, And warm her warm and perfumed mouth As summer journeys through the South.

x.x.x.

The argent sea surged steep below, Surged languid in a tropic glow; And two great hearts kept surging so!

The fervid kiss of heaven lay Precipitate on wood and sea.

Two great souls glowed with ecstasy, The sea glowed scarce as warm as they.

x.x.xI.

'Twas love's low amber afternoon.

Two far-off pheasants thrummed a tune, A cricket clanged a restful air.

The dreamful billows beat a rune Like heart regrets.

Around her head There shone a halo. Men have said 'Twas from a dash of t.i.tian That flooded all her storm of hair In gold and glory. But they knew, Yea, all men know there ever grew A halo round about her head Like sunlight scarcely vanished.

x.x.xII.

How still she was! She only knew His love. She saw no life beyond.

She loved with love that only lives Outside itself and selfishness,-- A love that glows in its excess; A love that melts pure gold, and gives Thenceforth to all who come to woo No coins but this face stamped thereon,-- Ay, this one image stamped upon Its face, with some dim date long gone.

x.x.xIII.

They kept the headland high; the s.h.i.+p Below began to chafe her chain, To groan as some great beast in pain; While white fear leapt from lip to lip: "The woods are fire! the woods are flame!

Come down and save us, in G.o.d's name!"

He heard! he did not speak or stir,-- He thought of her, of only her.

While flames behind, before them lay To hold the stoutest heart at bay!

Strange sounds were heard far up the flood,-- Strange, savage sounds that chilled the blood!

Then sudden from the dense dark wood Above, about them where they stood A thousand beasts came peering out; And now was thrust a long black snout, And now a tusky mouth. It was A sight to make the stoutest pause.

"Cut loose the s.h.i.+p!" the black mate cried; "Cut loose the s.h.i.+p!" the crew replied.

They drove into the sea. It lay As light as ever middle day.

The while their half-blind b.i.t.c.h, that sat All s...o...b..r-mouthed, and monkish cowled With great, broad, floppy, leathern ears, Amid the men, rose up and howled, And doleful howled her plaintive fears, While all looked mute aghast thereat.

It was the grimmest eve, I think, That ever hung on Hades' brink.

Great broad-winged bats possessed the air, Bats whirling blindly everywhere; It was such troubled twilight eve As never mortal would believe.

x.x.xIV.

Some say the crazed hag lit the wood In circle where the lovers stood; Some say the gray priest feared the crew Might find at last the h.o.a.rd of gold Long hidden from the black s.h.i.+p's hold,-- I doubt me if men ever knew.

But such mad, howling, flame-lit sh.o.r.e No mortal ever saw before.

Huge beasts above that s.h.i.+ning sea, Wild, hideous beasts with s.h.a.ggy hair, With red mouths lifting in the air, They piteous howled, and plaintively,-- The wildest sounds, the weirdest sight That ever shook the walls of night.