i》Flames　through　the　dust；
  And　dares；
  And　flings　you　back　your　scorn；
  Come；　face　to　face；　and　slay　me　if　you　will；
  But　not　until　you've　felt　the　weight
  Of　all　betricked　humanity's　contempt
  In　one　bold　blow！
  Speak　forth　a　Reason；　and　I　will　answer　it；
  Yes；　to　your　faces　I　will　answer　it；
  Come　garmented　in　flesh　and　I　will　fight　with　you；
  Yes；　in　your　faces　will　I　smite　you；　gods；
  Coward　gods　and　tricksters　that　set　traps
  In　paradise！
  Far　gods　that　hedge　yourselves　about　with　silence
  And　with　distance；
  That　mock　men　from　the　unscalable　escarpments　of
  your　Heavens。〃
  Thus　I　raved；　being　mad。
  I　had　no　sooner　finished　speaking　than　I　felt
  The　darkness　fluttered　by　approaching　feet；
  And　the　silence　was　burned　through　by　trembling
  flames　of　sound；
  And　I　was　'ware　that　Something　stood　by　me。
  And　with　a　shout　I　leapt　and　grasped　that　Being；
  And　the　Thing　grasped　me。
  We　came　to　wrestling　grips；
  And　back　and　forth　we　swayed；
  Hand　seeking　throat；　and　crook'd　knee　seeking
  To　encrook　unwary　leg；
  And　spread　toes　grasping　the　uneven　ground；
  The　strained　breast　muscles　cracked　and　creaked；
  The　sweat　ran　in　my　eyes；
  The　plagued　breath　sobbed　and　whistled　through
  my　throat；
  I　tasted　blood；　and　strangled；　but　still　struggled
  on
  The　stars　above　me　danced　in　swarms　like　yellow
  bees；
  The　shaken　moonlight　writhed　upon　the　rocks；
  But　at　the　last　I　felt　his　breathing　weaker　grow；
  The　tense　limbs　grow　less　tense；
  And　with　a　bursting　cry　I　bent　his　head　right
  back；
  Back；　back；　until
  I　heard　his　neck　bones　snap；
  His　spine　crunched　in　my　grip；
  I　flung　him　to　the　earth　and　knelt　upon　his　breast
  And　listened　till　the　fluttering　pulse　was　stilled。
  Man；　god；　or　devil；　I　had　wrenched　the　life　from
  him！
  And　lo！even　as　he　died
  The　moonlight　failed　above　the　vale；
  And　somehow；　sure；　I　know　now　how！
  Between　the　rifted　rocks　the　great　Sun　struck
  A　finger　down　the　cliff；　and　that　red　beam
  Lay　sharp　across　the　face　of　him　that　I　had　slain；
  And　in　that　light　I　read　the　answer　of　the　silent
  gods
  Unto　my　cursed…out　prayer；
  For　he　that　lay　upon　the　ground　wasI！
  I　understood　the　lesson　then；
  It　was　myself　that　lay　there　dead；
  Yes；　I　had　slain　my　Self。
  THE　REBEL
  No　doubt　the　ordered　worlds　speed　on
  With　purpose　in　their　wings；
  No　doubt　the　ordered　songs　are　sweet
  Each　worthy　angel　sings；
  And　doubtless　it　is　wise　to　heed
  The　ordered　words　of　Kings；
  But　how　the　heart　leaps　up　to　greet
  The　headlong；　rebel　flight；
  Whenas　some　reckless　meteor
  Blazes　across　the　night！
  Some　cometByronLucifer
  Has　dared　to　Be；　and　fight！
  No　doubt　but　it　is　safe　to　dwell
  Where　ordered　duties　are；
  No　doubt　the　cherubs　earn　their　wage
  Who　wind　each　ticking　star；
  No　doubt　the　system　is　quite　right！
  Sane；　ordered；　regular；
  But　how　the　rebel　fires　the　soul
  Who　dares　the　strong　gods'　ire！
  Each　Byron！Shelley！Lucifer！
  And　all　the　outcast　choir
  That　chant　when　some　Prometheus
  Leaps　up　to　steal　Jove's　fire！
  THE　CHILD　AND　THE　MILL
  BETTER　a　pauper；　penniless；　asleep　on　the　kindly
  sod
  Better　a　gipsy；　houseless；　but　near　to　the　heart
  of　God；
  That　beats　for　ears　not　dulled　by　the　clanking
  wheels　of　care
  Better　starvation　and　freedom；　hope　and　the　good
  fresh　air
  Than　death　to　the　Something　in　him　that　was
  born　to　laugh　and　dream；
  That　was　kin　to　the　idle　lilies　and　the　ripples　of
  the　stream。
  For　out　of　the　dreams　of　childhood；　that　careless
  come　and　go；
  The　boy　gains　strength；　unknowing；　that　the　Man
  will　prove　and　know。
  But　these　fools　with　their　lies　and　their　dollars；
  their　mills　and　their　bloody　hands；
  Who　make　a　god　of　a　wheel；　who　worship　their
  whirring　bands；
  They　are　flinging　the　life　of　a　people；　raw；　to　the
  brute　machines。
  Dull…eyed；　weary；　and　oldold　in　his　early　teens
  Stunted　and　stupid　and　twisted；　marred　in　the
  mills　of　grief；
  Can　your　factories　fashion　a　Man　of　this　thing
  a　Man　and　a　Chief？
  Dumb　is　the　heart　of　him　now；　at　the　time　when
  his　heart　should　sing
  Wasters　of　body　and　brain；　what　race　will　the
  future　bring？
  What　of　the　nation's　nerve　whenas　swift　crises
  come？
  What　of　the　brawn　that　should　heave　the　guns　on
  the　beck　of　the　drum？
  Thieves　of　body　and　soul；　who　can　neither　think
  nor　feel；
  Swine…eyed　priests　of　little　false　gods　of　gold　and
  steel；
  Bow　to　your　obscene　altars；　worship　your　loud
  mills　then！
  Feed　to　Moloch　and　Baal　the　brawn　and　brains
  of　men
  But　silent　and　watchful　and　hidden　forever　over
  all
  The　masters　brood　of　those　Mills　that　〃grind
  exceeding　small。〃
  And　it　needs　no　occult　art　nor　magic　to　foreshow
  That　a　people　who　sow　defeat　they　will　reap　the
  thing　they　sow。
  〃SIC　TRANSIT　GLORIA　MUNDI〃
  CONQUERORS　leonine；　lordly；
  Princes　and　vaunting　kings；
  Ye　are　drunk　with　the　sound　of　your　braggart
  trumps
  But　lo！　ye　are　little　things！
  Earth　。　。　。　it　is　charnel　with　monarchs！
  And　the　puffs　of　dust　that　start
  Where　your　war　steeds　stamp　with　their　ringing　hoofs
  Were　each　some　warrior's　heart。
  Peoples　imperial；　mighty；
  Masterful；　challenging　fate；
  The　tread　of　your　cohorts　shakes　the　hills
  But　lo！　ye　are　not　great！
  Nations　that　swarm　and　murmur；
  Ye　are　moths　that　flutter　and　climb
  Ye　are　whirling　gnats；　ye　are　swirling　bees；
  Tossed　in　the　winds　of　time！
  Earth　that　is　flushed　with　glory；
  A　marvelous　world　ye　are！
  But　lo！　in　the　midst　of　a　million　stars
  Ye　are　only　one　pale　star！
  A　breath　stirs　the　dark　abysses。　。　。　。
  The　deeps　below　the　deep
  Are　troubled　and　vexed　。　。　。　and　a　thousand　worlds
  Fall　on　eternal　sleep！
  THE　COMRADE
  I
  HATH　not　man　at　his　noblest
  An　air　of　something　more　than　man？
  A　hint　of　grace　immortal；
  Born　of　his　greatly　daring　to　assist　the　gods
  In　conquering　these　shaggy　wastes；
  These　desert　worlds；
  And　planting　life　and　order　in　these　stars？
  So　Woman　at　her　best：
  Her　eyes　are　bright　with　visions　and　with　dreams
  That　triumph　over　time；
  Her　plumed　thought；　wing　for　wing；　is　mate　with
  his。
  II
  The　world　rolls　on　from　dream　to　dream；
  And　'neath　the　vast　impersonal　revenges　of　its
  going；
  Crushed　fools　that　cried　defeat
  Lie　dead　amid　the　dust　they　prophesied
  Ye　doubters　of　man's　larger　destiny；
  Ye　that　despair；
  Look　backward　down　the　vistaed　years；
  And　all　is　battleand　all　victory！
  Man　fought；　to　be　a　man！
  Through　painful　centuries　the　slow　beast　fought；
  Blinded　and　baffled；　fought　to　gain　his　soul；
  Wild；　hairy；　shag；　and　feared　of　shadows；
  Yet　the　clouds
  Made　him　strange　signals　that　he　puzzled　o'er；
  Beast；　child；　and　ape；
  And　yet　the　winds　harped　to　him；　and　the　sea
  Rolled　in　upon　his　consciousness
  Its　tides　of　wonder　and　romance；
  Uncouth　and　caked　with　mire；
  And　yet　the　stars　said　something　to　him；　and　the
  sun
  Declared　itself　a　god；
  The　lagging　cycles　turned　at　last
  The　pictures　into　thought；
  Thought　flowered　in　soul；
  But；　oh；　the　myriad　weary　years
  Ere　Caliban　was　Shakespeare's　self
  And　Darwin's　ape　had　Darwin's　brain！
  The　battling；　battling；　and　the　steep　ascent；
  The　fight　to　hold　the　little　gained；
  The　loss；　the　doubt；　the　shaken　heart；
  The　stubborn；　groping　slow　recovery！
  But　looking　backward　toward　the　dim　beginnings；
  You　that　despair；
  Hath　he　not　climbed　and　conquered？
  Look　backward　and　all's　Victory！
  What　coward　looks　forward　and　foresees　defeat？
  III
  Who　climbed　beside　him；　and　who　fought
  And　suffered　and　was　glad？
  Is　she　a　lesser　thing　than　he；
  Who　stained　the　slopes　with　bloody　feet；　or　stood
  Beside　him　on　some　hard…won　eminence　of　hope
  Exulting　as　the　bold　dawn　swept
  A　harper　hand　along　the　ringing　hills？
  Flesh　of　his　flesh；　and　of　his　soul　the　soul；
  Hath　she　not　fought；　hath　she　not　climbed？
  And　how　is　she　a　lesser　thing？
  Nay；　if　she　ever　was
  'Twas　we　that　made　her　so；　who　called　her　queen
  But　kept　her　slave。
  IV
  Had　she　not　courage　for　the　fight？
  Hath　she　not　courage　for　the　years　to　come？
  Hath　she　not　courage　who　descends　alone
  （How　pitifully　alone；　except　for　Love！）
  Where　man's　thought　even　falters　that　would
  follow；
  Into　the　shadowy　abyss
  （Through　vast　and　murmurous　caverns　dark　with
  crowding　dread
  And　terrible　with　hovering　wings）；
  To　battle　there　with　Death？to　battle
  There　with　Death；　and　wrest　from　him；
  O　Conqueror　and　Mother；
  Life！
  V
  Hath　she　too　long　dwelt　dream…bound　in　the　world
  of　love；
  Unconscious　of　the　sterner　throes；
  The　more　austere；　impersonal；　wide　faith；
  The　urge　that　drives　Christs