Exposure (2)

    Pale flakes¹ with lingering stealth come feeling for our faces ——We cringe in holes, back on forgotten dreams, and stare, snow-dazed, Deep into grassier² ditches. So we drowse, sun-dozed, Littered with blossoms trickling³ where the blackbird fusses. Is it that we are dying？

    Slowly our ghosts drag home： glimpsing the sunk fires glozed With crusted dark-red jewels； crickets jingle⁴ there； For hours the innocent mice rejoice： the house is theirs； Shutters⁵ and doors all closed： on us the doors are closed —— We turn back to our dying.

    Since we believe not otherwise can kind fires burn； Now ever suns smile true on child, or field, or fruit. For God's invincible⁶ spring our love is made afraid； Therefore, not loath⁷, we lie out here； therefore were born, For love of God seems dying.

    To-night, His frost will fasten on this mud and us, Shrivelling many hands and puckering⁸ foreheads crisp. The burying-party, picks and shovels⁹ in their shaking grasp, Pause over half-known faces. All their eyes are ice, But nothing happens. Spring Offensive

    Halted against the shade of a last hill, They fed, and, lying easy, were at ease And, finding comfortable chests and knees Carelessly slept. But many there stood still To face the stark¹⁰, blank sky beyond the ridge¹¹, Knowing their feet had come to the end of the world.

    Marvelling¹² they stood, and watched the long grass swirled¹³ By the May breeze, murmurous¹⁴ with wasp¹⁵ and midge, For though the summer oozed¹⁶ into their veins¹⁷ Like the injected drug for their bones' pains, Sharp on their souls hung the imminent¹⁸ line of grass, Fearfully flashed the sky's mysterious glass.

    Hour after hour they ponder the warm field —— And the far valley behind, where the buttercups Had blessed with gold their slow boots coming up, Where even the little brambles would not yield, But clutched and clung to them like sorrowing hands； They breathe like trees unstirred.

    Till like a cold gust¹⁹ thrilled the little word At which each body and its soul begird And tighten²⁰ them for battle. No alarms Of bugles²¹, no high flags, no clamorous²² haste —— Only a lift and flare²³ of eyes that faced The sun, like a friend with whom their love is done. O larger shone that smile against the sun, —— Mightier²⁴ than his whose bounty²⁵ these have spurned²⁶.

    So, soon they topped the hill, and raced together Over an open stretch of herb and heather Exposed. And instantly the whole sky burned With fury against them； and soft sudden cups Opened in thousands for their blood； and the green slopes Chasmed and steepened sheer to infinite space.

    Of them who running on that last high place Leapt to swift unseen bullets, or went up On the hot blast and fury of hell's upsurge, Or plunged²⁷ and fell away past this world's verge²⁸, Some say God caught them even before they fell.

    But what say such as from existence' brink²⁹ Ventured but drave too swift to sink. The few who rushed in the body to enter hell, And there outfiending all its fiends and flames With superhuman inhumanities, Long-famous glories, immemorial shames —— And crawling slowly back, have by degrees Regained³⁰ cool peaceful air in wonder —— Why speak they not of comrades that went under？