As I Walked Out One Evening

    Walking down Bristol Street，

    The crowds upon the pavement

    Were fields of harvest wheat.

    And down by the brimming river

    I heard a lover sing

    Under an arch of the railway：

    'Love has no ending.

    'I'll love you， dear， I'll love you

    Till China and Africa meet，

    And the river jumps over the mountain

    And the salmon¹ sing in the street，

    'I'll love you till the ocean

    Is folded and hung up to dry

    And the seven stars go squawking

    Like geese about the sky.

    'The years shall run like rabbits，

    For in my arms I hold

    The Flower of the Ages，

    And the first love of the world.'

    But all the clocks in the city

    Began to whirr and chime：

    'O let not Time deceive you，

    You cannot conquer Time.

    'In the burrows² of the Nightmare

    Where Justice naked is，

    Time watches from the shadow

    And coughs when you would kiss.

    'In headaches and in worry

    Vaguely³ life leaks away，

    And Time will have his fancy

    To-morrow or to-day.

    'Into many a green valley

    Drifts the appalling⁴ snow；

    Time breaks the threaded dances

    And the diver's brilliant bow.

    'O plunge⁵ your hands in water，

    Plunge them in up to the wrist；

    Stare， stare in the basin

    And wonder what you've missed.

    'The glacier⁶ knocks in the cupboard，

    The desert sighs in the bed，

    And the crack in the tea-cup opens

    A lane to the land of the dead.

    'Where the beggars raffle⁷ the banknotes

    And the Giant is enchanting⁸ to Jack⁹，

    And the Lily-white Boy is a Roarer，

    And Jill goes down on her back.

    'O look， look in the mirror，

    O look in your distress¹⁰：

    Life remains¹¹ a blessing¹²

    Although you cannot bless.

    'O stand， stand at the window

    As the tears scald and start；

    You shall love your crooked¹³ neighbour

    With your crooked heart.'

    It was late， late in the evening，

    The lovers they were gone；

    The clocks had ceased their chiming，

    And the deep river ran on.