Lee Wilson Dodd

HEAR me, brother!

Boldly I stepped into the Temple,

Into the Temple where the God dwells

Veiled with Seven Veils,

Into the Temple of Unbroken Silence:

And my joyous feet shod with crimson sandals

Rang out on the tesselated pavement,

Rang out fearlessly

Like a challenge and a cry!

And there—in that shrouded solitude,

There—before the Seven Veils,

There—because of youth and youth’s madness,

Because of love and love’s unresting heart,

There did I sing three songs!

And my first song praised the eyes of a wanton;

And my second song praised the lips of a wanton;

And my third song praised the feet of a dancing girl!

Thus did I desecrate the Temple,

Thus did I stand before the Seven Veils,

Proudly!

Thus did I wait upon the God’s Voice—

Proudly!—

And the sudden shaft of death ..…

But no Voice stirred the Seven Veils,

Though I stood long ..…

And my knees shook,

My bones were afraid ..…

Swiftly I loosed the crimson sandals,

And, tearing them from off my feet,

Crept shuddering forth!

Hear me, brother!

Now am I as one stricken with palsy,

Now am I sick with the close ache of terror,

Now am I as one who, having tasted poison,

Cowers, waiting for the pang!

For the God spake not ..…

And the sense of my littleness is upon me:

And I am a worm in my own sight,

Trodden and helpless;

A casual grain of sand

Indistinguishable amid a million grains:

And I take no pleasure now in youth

Nor in youth’s madness,

In love

Nor in love’s unresting heart;

And I praise no longer the eyes of a wanton,

Nor the lips of a wanton,

Nor the light feet of a dancing girl.

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