Once, I knew a fine song, —It is true, believe me— It was all of birds, And I held them in a basket; When I opened the wicket,

There was a great cathedral. To solemn songs, A white procession Moved toward the altar. The chief man there

In a lonely place, I encountered a sage Who sat, all still, Regarding a newspaper. He accosted me:

Many workmen Built a huge ball of masonry Upon a mountain-top. Then they went to the valley below… And turned to behold their work.

THOU art my love And thou art the peace of sundown When the blue shadows soothe And the grasses and the leaves sle… To the song of the little brooks

In the desert I saw a creature, naked, bestial, who, squatting upon the ground, Held his heart in his hands, And ate of it.

A slant of sun on dull brown walls… A forgotten sky of bashful blue. Toward God a mighty hymn, A song of collisions and cries, Rumbling wheels, hoof-beats, bells…

Mystic shadow, bending near me, Who art thou? Whence come ye? And—tell me—is it fair Or is the truth bitter as eaten fi…

Forth went the candid man And spoke freely to the wind— When he looked about him he was in… Forth went the candid man And spoke freely to the stars—

“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.…

There came whisperings in the wind… “Good-bye! Good-bye!” Little voices called in the darkne… “Good-bye! Good-bye!” Then I stretched forth my arms.

Behold, the grave of a wicked man, And near it, a stern spirit. There came a drooping maid with vi… But the spirit grasped her arm. ‘No flowers for him,’ he said.

A man toiled on a burning road, Never resting. Once he saw a fat, stupid ass Grinning at him from a green place… The man cried out in rage,

Three little birds in a row Sat musing. A man passed near that place. Then did the little birds nudge ea… They said, “He thinks he can sing…