by Mike Monroe
and when a god had urged
the singer began to start his chant
and never yet since high in paradise
over the four rivers the first roses blew
came purer pleasure unto mortal kind
the forms of all things are derived from their genius
which by the ancients was called
an angel and a spirit and a demon
8.
I sing of chaos and eternal night
taught by the heavenly muse to venture down
the dark descent and up to reascend
the waves of death encompassed him
the torrents of perdition assailed him
he shall wander like a breeze
by lakes and sandy shores
beneath the crags of ancient mountains
and beneath the clouds
he shall drive his cart and plow over the bones of the dead
for the road to excess leads to the palace of wisdom
the old man was terrified
he obeyed the order
turning
trailing away in silence down the shore
where the roaring battle lines of breakers crash and drag
but when the wanderer had come in close to shore
he heard the surge
against the shoals it hammered hard
the wailing combers rolled
and the good south wind still blew behind
but no sweet bird did follow
in his sleep he dreamed of food
his jaws closed on nothing
and he ground his teeth on nothing
and his throat kept swallowing nothing
the old man was terrified
trailing away in silence down the shore
where the roaring battle lines of breakers crash and drag
the waves of death encompassed him
the torrents of perdition assailed him
he shall wander like a breeze
by lakes and sandy shores
beneath the crags of ancient mountains
and beneath the clouds
he shall drive his cart and plow over the bones of the dead
for the road to excess leads to the palace of wisdom
there is a vast grove by a cool stream
for generations widely held in awe
on all sides it is enclosed by a coil of hills
which guard the dark pine-glade
and he rode on and found a mighty hill
and on the top a walled city
the spires pricked with incredible pinnacles into heaven
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