Reprisal From the Shore
What now try our souls at evening's faint hour? I
Shall not let some heavy foot use this heart
Like a common shoe. I shall yet defy
The tiger slinking to tear me apart
For daring to the forest edge to come
And rinse my soul with trees and find ransome.
Here far from spilling oil the ocean bleeds
And far from tattered feathers and doomed things
Amidst the green of lung my fear recedes
In every bud promises eternal springs.
Here the caterpillars' yellow teeth contest
My love that cannot surrender forest.
Earth boils hot with indignation at man's
Polluted ambition, the gas of stars
Spill over into our discomfort, sands
Crawl slowly from the shore; greed, green, scars
The crinkling vision, my trees pant for light
Where sea rising, inches close through the night.
O warriors of the old way I call
For courage that shall the new day proclaim
I leave my skin, my blood, my tears of gall
Above the shame of dividing walls. Lame
Though the tiger limps, I turn no back to him,
He's agile as a lie - I keep the rim
My heart is a temple for His coming
The wind conducts the forest blooming choir
And birds, old parishioners here, humming
From their branchy pews, a litany inspire
From every shreiking, flying, croaking thing
I see bright stars, and suddenly want to sing.
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