Brotherhood

Brotherhood by George William Russell

 TWILIGHT, a blossom grey in shadowy valleys dwells:
Under the radiant dark the deep blue-tinted bells
In quietness reïmage heaven within their blooms,
Sapphire and gold and mystery. What strange perfumes,
Out of what deeps arising, all the flower-bells fling,
Unknowing the enchanted odorous song they sing!
Oh, never was an eve so living yet: the wood
Stirs not but breathes enraptured quietude.
Here in these shades the ancient knows itself, the soul,
And out of slumber waking starts unto the goal.
What bright companions nod and go along with it!
Out of the teeming dark what dusky creatures flit,
That through the long leagues of the island night above
Come by me, wandering, whispering, beseeching love;
As in the twilight children gather close and press
Nigh and more nigh with shadowy tenderness,
Feeling they know not what, with noiseless footsteps glide
Seeking familiar lips or hearts to dream beside.
O voices, I would go with you, with you, away,
Facing once more the radiant gateways of the day;
With you, with you, what memories arise, and nigh
Trampling the crowded figures of the dawn go by
Dread deities, the giant powers that warred on men
Grow tender brothers and gay children once again;
Fades every hate away before the Mother’s breast
Where all the exiles of the heart return to rest.

Form: Heroic Couplet Comments

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bennett Avatar
September 14, 2026 at 3:07 PM
Hi! I really enjoyed your poetry. I especially liked the way the writing moves between different thoughts and images, and it made me wonder how beautifully that flow could continue visually. I’m a commission artist with a focus on visual storytelling, and I’d love to explore a sequence where each stanza becomes the next part of the story, creating a connected progression that follows the poem all the way through. If that’s something you might be interested in, I’d be happy to share my work. Discord: eve_verse Email:[email protected]
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