第 7 节
作者:僻处自说      更新:2021-02-21 12:01      字数:9322
  (Shepherds)      Harken;   Shepherds;    harken;     Hear     the  angels  sing!
  Jehovah   sends   a   token;    He   himself   hath   spoken     To   proclaim   our
  King。
  (Angels)     Hasten;   Shepherds;    hasten;     This    shall  be   your   sign;
  Where     the  kine  are  stabled;    In   a  manger   cradled     Lies   the  Child
  Divine。
  (Shepherds) Angels; Shepherds; People;            and Shout the glad refrain!
  Angels) Joy to every nation        Bringing full salvation;       Christ has come
  to reign。     Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!
  CAROLINE HAZARD
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  ANTHOLOGY OF MASSACHUSETTS POETS
  REUBEN ROY
  LITTLE fellow; brown with wind… I saw him in the street Peering at
  numbers on the posts; But most discreet:
  For when a woman came outdoors; Or slyly peeped instead; He turned
  away; took off his hat; And scratched his head。
  I   watched   him   from   my   garden…wall   Perhaps   an   hour   or   more;   For
  something in his attitude; The clothes he wore;
  Awoke   the   dimmest   memories   Of   when   I   was   a   boy And   knew   the
  story of a man Named Reuben Roy。
  It seems that Reuben went to sea The night his wife decried The fence
  he built before their house And up the side。
  He  wanted   it   but   she   did   not;   Because  it   hid   from  view The   spot   in
  which her mignonette And tulips grew。
  Nobody saw his face again; But each year; unawares; He sent a sum
  for taxes due… And fence repairs。
  My curiosity aroused;
  I sauntered forth to see Whether this individual Were really he。
  〃Who are you looking for?〃 I asked His eyes; like two bright pence;
  Sparkled at mine; and then he said: 〃A fence。〃
  〃Somebody  burned   it   Hallowe'en; When   people   were   in   bed;   Before
  the judge could prosecute; The culprit fled。〃
  Well; Reuben   only  touched   his hat And   mumbled;  〃Thank   you;  Sir;〃
  And asked me whereabouts to find A carpenter。
  HAROLD CRAWFORD STEARNS
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  COUNTRY ROAD
  I CAN'T forget a gaunt grey barn Like a face without an eye That kept
  recurring by field and tarn Under a Cape Cod sky。
  I   can't   forget   a   woman's   hand;   Roughened   and   scarred   by   toil   That
  beckoned clear…eyed children tanned By sun and wind and soil。
  Beauty and hardship; bent and bound Under the selfsame yoke: Babies
  with bare knees plump and round And stooping women folk。
  MARIE LOUISE HERSEY
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  WREATHS
  RED   wreaths   Hang   in   my   neighbor's   window;   Green   wreaths   in   my
  own。 On this day I lost my husband。 On this day you lost your boy。 On this
  day Christ was born。 Red wreaths; Green wreaths Hang in Our Windows
  Red   for   a   bleeding   heart;   Green   for   grave   grass。   Mary;   mother   of   Jesus;
  Look   down   and   comfort   us。 You   too   knew  passion; You   too   knew   pain。
  Comfort us; Who are not brides of God; Nor bore God。 On Christmas day
  Hang wreaths; Red for new pain。 Green for spent passion。
  CAROLYN HILLMAN
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  ANTHOLOGY OF MASSACHUSETTS POETS
  MEMPHIS
  WHY should I sing of my present?          It is noth… ing to me or you;
  Rather I'd dream of Dixie and tie ships on the old bayou! Rather I'd
  dream of my packets and the lazy river days; Rather I'd dream of my levee
  and the crimson sunset haze;
  Rather I'd   dream of   my  triumphs; of   the days   that   are long gone by;
  Rather   I'd   dream   of   flame…tipped   stacks   against   a   saffron   sky;   Of   level
  lawns of topaz; of level fields of jade; Of the rambling pillared mansions
  that my fathers' fathers made!
  Why should I sing of my present?         It is nothing to you or me; But the
  river road; the great road; the high road to the sea! Aye; that is worth the
  dreaming; aye; that was worth the pain。 Send me back my river; and I shall
  wake again!
  GORDON MALHERBE HILLMAN
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  ANTHOLOGY OF MASSACHUSETTS POETS
  SAINT COLUMBKILLE
  COLUMBKILLE!               Saint    Columbkille!       You    naughty    man;     Saint
  Columbkille!   Why   did   you   Finnian's   Psalter   take   And   secretly   a   copy
  make? You   know   'twas   such   a   naughty  thing   For   one   descended   from  a
  king To lock himself into a cell; 'Twas far from right;…you knew it well;…
  And   copy   Finnian's   Psalter   through; Against   his   will   as   well   you   knew。
  And then to think a common bird Should feel such shame; that when he
  heard The breathing spy outside your door; And felt your sainthood was no
  more; Should through the crack attack the spy; And in a rage pluck out his
  eye; As   if   that   saintly   Irish   crane   Would   hide   from   all   your   Saintship's
  stain。   I   grieve   to   think   that   you   did   add   Sin   unto   sin;   it   is   too   bad。   For
  Finnian could not you persuade To yield the copy that you made; Until the
  King in his behalf Ruled…〃To each cow belongs her calf〃: And then you
  grew so mad you swore On Erin's face you'd look no more。 And crossed
  the   sea   the   Picts   to   save;   Because   you   so   did   misbehave   To   dear   Saint
  Finnian: faith; 'twas ill For you to act so; Columbkille! A saint you were
  no   doubt;   no   doubt!   What   pity   'twas   you   were   found   out!   We   know   an
  angel (snob or fool?)
  To Kiaran showed a common rule; An axe; an auger; and a saw; And
  told that saint it was the law Of Heaven that Columbkille should be Far;
  far above such saints as he; For Columbkille contemned a crown; While
  he these homely tools laid down; To serve the Lord; and that the Lord To
  each would give his due reward。 I wonder if that angel knew That Christ
  these tools had laid down too。 O Columbkille! O Columbkille! A saint like
  you must have his will; But for myself I'd rather be The common sinner
  that   you   see   Than   make   a   crane   ashamed   of   me;  And   angels   talk   such
  idiocy。
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  E。 J。 V。   HUIGINN
  MISS DOANE
  MISS   Doane   was   sixty;   probably;   She   rented   third   floor   room   That
  opened on an airshaft full Of cooking smells and gloom。
  She    worked    in  philanthropic    man's    Well…known      department     store;
  Cashiered in basement; hot and close; For forty years or more。
  Each   night   when   she   came   home   she'd   stand A  moment   in   the   hall;
  Before she went into her room With low and tender call。
  And   often   I   would   hear   her   voice   Repeat   a   childish   prayer;   Or   read
  some old; old fairy tale Of Princess; grand and fair。
  One night I went to visit her And spied; in little chair A great wax doll;
  in dainty dress; And curls of flaxen hair。
  I   praised   the   doll;   its   prettiness;   Miss   Doane   said;   〃I'm   alone。   She
  comforts me。 I wanted so A child to call my own。〃
  Each night I heard her softly sing A childish lullaby; But once; and
  just before she died; I heard her cry and cry!
  WINIFRED VIRGINIA JACKSON
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  FALLEN FENCES
  THE woods grew dark; black shadows rocked And I could scarcely see
  My way along the old tote road; That long had seemed to me
  To wind on aimlessly; but now Came full to life; the rain Would soon
  strike down; ahead I saw A clearing; and a lane
  Between   gray;   fallen   fences   and   Wide;   grayer;   grim   stone   walls;   So
  grim and gray I shrank from thought Of weary; aching spalles。
  On stony knoll great aspens swayed And swung in browsing teeth Of
  wind;   slim;   silvered   yearlings   shook And   shivered   underneath。   Beyond;
  some   ancient   oak   trees   bent   And   wrangled   over   roof   Of   weatherbeaten
  house; and barn Whose sag bespoke no hoof。
  And ivy crawled up either end Of house; to chimney; where It lashed
  in futile anger at The wind wolves of the air。
  I thought the house abandoned; and I ran t