Poets' Corner

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 659, 10 May 1929, Page 14

Poets' Corner

THE RIVER tWritten for The Sun. J So dark the night ... so deep upon the face Of these still waters in a lonely place; So vast the night where sky and earth are one. And through their blackness these deep waters run. And we sped swiftly down the river's way Into that night which had no other sound Than the persistent throbbing from our boat. Folding and soft around us, peace we found. And brought our clamour with its raucous note To shatter this vast silence. And again, And yet again against the pit night A voice among us sang that \dere had been In some small Spanish town a night like this. The little silent waves in shrinking pain Fled from our side; the little glowing light Under the banks grew dim, as we went by Scattering noise against the brooding sky . , . And suddenly the darkness that had been So like a holy garment on the breast Of these deep waters, Filed with hate obscene; The vast malignant presence of the night, That had seen and known so many evil things On other rivers, raged impotently Against our spoilers of its ancient peace. I saw thin strands of mist with Angers grey Like long dead hands reach out in writhing strings Against the careless singer in the bow, Twining and closing round about his throat; B t ever in the dark his song’s loud note Sang on about a little Spanish town . . . until the day Stepped to the sky from off the distant hills. And from the quiet forest we came down, . Bringing our noise to mingle with the town. ISHBEL VEITCH. Wanganui. BOOKS IN DEMAND AT THE AUCKLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY FICTION “THE YELLOW PERIL,” by M. P. Shiel. “STORM HOUSE,” by Kathleen 'Norris. “THE COAT WITHOUT A SEAM,” by M. Baring. ‘‘PEACE BLOSSOM,” by Hugo Wast. ‘‘THE WHITE MAMALOI.” by M. Roberts. ‘‘MAIDEN STAKES," by Dornford Yates. ‘‘PASTEL,’’ by G. Heyer. ‘‘THE DANCING BEGGARS,” by E. Brett Young. ‘■PASSAGE TO INDIA,” by E. M. Forster. ‘‘THE TALISMAN,” by Sir Walter Scott. NON-FICTION ‘‘THE SACRED FLAME,” by W. Somerset Maugham. ‘‘LETTERS FROM AN OCEAN TRAMP,” by IT. McFee. “MOUNTAINS, GOLD, AND CANNIBALS,” by D. L. Booth. “THE FRINGE OF THE MOSLEM WORLD,” by Harry Franck. “THE DIARY OF TOLSTOY’S WIFE.” “GILLES DE RAIS," by A. L. Vincent and Clare Binns. “LETTERS AND LEADERS OF MY DAY," by T. Healy. “PARTIES OF THE PLAY,” by I. Brown. . . “FRANCIS JOSEPH,” by E. Bagger. “THE TRAGIC BRIDE," by V. Poliakoff.