VERSES OLD AND NEW.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 574, 31 July 1909, Page 9

VERSES OLD AND NEW.

THE HULK IN THE ESTUARY. > He sprawls, a stranded hulk, along i the mud, Pndeckedj' witt gaping sides' and obrokeii'back;' Half-way between the :reacli of highest flood— ■Which far on either hand - Makes headway up the slack , ; ! Of - slimy channels : .wlieir tho full moon; calls— And that soiled limbo,- neither : sea nor: land, .."Whereto the.last' reluotantiobb-wavei crawls. . -

All -day .abpvo. the dismal flats the gulls ..' Hover .and sweep.- witli',glint oK'sriowy iwings; Or' crowdwith raucous laughter ground 1 tho pools' •'. r ;■ •: :l-i----"Whe- drifted-by tho tide, -■ . • Lie. stranded obscene •' things, . .'-V: ; Cast- forths in darknessfrom 'the ?up-stream town, From which th.olvstral, water'.'turns'asido ' . Till' storm shall.give ; it, strength:, to wash ;them down.

•' V-Jle .SMS upon; tho ebb,, .with . The outbound ships—a younger, mightier brood— Down to their-business on tho great deep go, ..And.'watches;iliqif.fTjpturiaSE-i;" ..... Upon the-icvenihg 'flood,' . ; - . .. -. -' ■ - Of,vessels, .gliding' laden -tp; tho .-quays,..V- y, . : ;;s Remotely;•toiiched'.' by vdisreganl and, stern With- the , high outer seas'. "yot,"'.sti ; sorry shape . v. Stained; ; red^with^rh§t^blackened;asf'though:by -% flameS-M ; :;;'£,^r'V ; ; ■','■ • He to uj'ake escape. From that ;whfch-,in -the-;light^f^}&>: ■' ... Establishes "-his ..'s'narhe, .-•'■'■ Arid'.with' ii^ttiy§ja»lo; : ; . The scornthings':)iyingv>'sitoceV-'n.t: night v ,;;'■ Z'^'!eo^e^;[&^ii)t^Uf^|^ii^i&Bjtheirs;'; For ■; ..-■.'■rAnH-Veaig'eiv,'l^escEH.;SuppL'c^dV' : iifetl>'pußlij.fpr'. ''■■ i shame ( •- f , The "waters in 'th'e' : dreary'; channel ; i'isa .'; ■. r .And pitifully steal ' .... . '.' Through his. broken framo, 'And bathe each gqping..wound,- each, ruef nlscar; ■ ' In 'dreain\he;;feels'; the;'waves' 1 beneath :liis; keel; And once again 'putsioutsido, the bar. ; ;J.'. j Erelong from off the moon the black clouds ,' drift, '.;5;.,. ■:;-4;-.^;:.i;,v;.v-■■ '■Arid to! alvastjsky/boiirided -ocean..spaco, V-: /{ o!er 'which with smothered bows and .high tup-' -/J/lift i-: v^i'VfV-;' :;. Of canvas silvery white • . ,He speeds. beforo the. raco .. : , >Of .'trade,:winds: down the world's convex ' Of purple, seas,, while in tho suddon light. ; : With,shad6ws ".'dappled,' gleam'-;liis'.spofloss.decks.

Ah, happy lie:- assured upon: his ' quest That ' somewhere, r washed "by; that - .uncharted' flood, :,v ■'.'■■ S.;' : i v Lie blissful. - realms "of.time 'still, unpossessed! What tho^t-;hel^i^'bibJ;teai^^s.V:.^-.j' ,>{ ; Uninasted • on. '?■ By .daylight,/ if,';.witH ; spread vof. shadowysail,' Adventurously .bound J;a!l; Thronglt-iagic 'seas 'beyonld aU'-uip'rtal'ihail!

: ; ' ."i r" f'Arid empty-though he lies—empty-no less .When jups'the' thrust-"the' morning ''And Tound. liim. -till - at With,' muffled shocks and jars ■' . ..''.

Through- Ills, decve'pit sidcs—.--. y.„ \ The -'midnight .wave'that ;floodV; .his; undecked hold, : Gathering j the' largess of the quiet stars, '• : Freights.-hith with rare . imponderable- gold. ' —W. G. Hole, in- "The;. Spectator.". . THE HOUR OF CHAOS. -l it cometh-i;at the height of . thy -attauiing,-^''.';. . 'It . coineth .in jthe'.'pit' of 'tliy pr.ofaning,-;' ' Ortin the of;, thy straining,./ i ■ Dr; in the - twilight of ;,tby. ! piirpose'.-'wanihg;'..' The. time' when , -thoumust . lose - the way of ' things. ~ ; ; '•; ;.;; ' -' V ;; Then fmdest thou no .-guide in lettered pages, No. beacon in. tho flame > :'No.shelter i.jin; the ;.b!>rs '"of^'gilded. jeages,';' ; But < thou-vmust;;-do'iibt . : of ./all ;; thy and

wages . .; - ';'-, •■ u'-^v, Alone, in;.'all the blinding day of things,^* Then ; doth'-thy rocit Then 'do thy-! Torn from a -ivenker. vessel crushed under,..;

i. finer spirit deafened -by \the thunder., '^ ;.' And' endless-'roariij*-" of-; tlie.'Storm. of : Then all tho powers, with their sceptres.gleam-

ing, . ... x':';. And all the graces- erstwhile pure and beaming Become,the nightmare,spectres"of .thy dreaming And, all;jthe*:worlcl' is''a'disordered ■ teeming I ';.';- > , And angry writing- of; the;,worni. of-^things;'-..

Then .love and ijlory'.;flowering for .ever';, Are barren.as the' desert.'blboming._never,;-:.. And mighty lite is- but a useless lever : - T 9 raise -, and; join',,,what. mightydeath,-; shall.

•' sever, . . V.-.-'V-'-' - And nature is,';the' simple child of .things;' ' Then -men are' .'like, a.frenzied ,_herd of .bison,; And, all - creation', is'.- a' vasty-p'risoh;' ' - And night no. blacker; tliah "when- day hath risen % : mocking- torch to. light .the; seaj:; and; ivizen, '' ;ind .God Himself :is but the tool ,of 'things: .* —R." T.; Chandler,; ;in /the-; r , '.'Vyestminster.; ; ■ ■ Gazette."