Poetry.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2391, 5 November 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

Poetry.

TAN DOHA,

There, in the dcnplv-ra vermins chambers, Which are hidden in the sombre easiness Of the K.irlb's gather'd inci Ustatinn, iStand the workshops, with the attendant ranks Of toiling and grimy-visaged myrmidons Of the Ood of Fire, inmm.lal Vulcan. I'Vniii their seething Haines and blazing forges Huge engines if celestial power Are beaten into shapely mould for use, Moth in bloody war or the arts of peace Amongst terrestrial mortals who may Seek the aid of the Ood.s in their pursuit. From such a laboratory, where breathes Naught else than a thick air of blacken'd smoke, And whose vast regions on every side Abound with these tools of tearful aspect, It is amazing the Hods should command The execution of a wondrous shape, Which, endowed with u life-breathing spirit, Has for ever since fill'd this upper world With love and hale; with sorrows, joys ami cinne ! Vet in his own sanctum, set apait From the dust and din of Ins teeming crow, Where with lich material and texture, And tools of make so finely intricate As to yield a rare and subtle beauty fv/n under the guidance of bis rough hands, Sits the, Hod, Vulcan, with his task now done. The mighty craftsman then does pause to scan

The work lie's laid his choicest skill upon : Smiles, that hetray his delight and rapture, Break over his coarse uneven features ; And, not unlike a rude imitation Of I'hineas and false Aspasia, The burly old God would fain fall prostrate lie fore the heanty of this creation Of his own rough though divine invention. Hut the latent liieof amorous youth Throws no more than a momentary spark In the breast of the immortal sculptor, Whoso heart long has set in the sere and yellow. With a deep but smother’d >igh Vulcan

rises, Lifts the lovely figure in his strong arms, And sets forth towards the higher regions, Where ho lays it, with godly amity, At the ftet of the Celestial Jove. It is a thing cunningly chiselled ; A master-piece of form and symmetry, And tit feast for the eyes of none but gods, it lias the divine shape of create man, With liner proportions of ev’ry limb, And skin of delicate and lustrous tint. .fnpiter>at enthron’d and encircl’d By a brilliant host of deities; There was wise Apollo with warlike Mars ; 1 biddy Bacchus and the chaste 1 liana'; Minerva, the learned, and fair Juno ; (Ireat Hercules and others in the throng. The assembl'd gods, with acclamation, praised. The triumph of Vulcan’s marvellous skill ; And when Jupiter, in divine pleasure, l , 'i>rlliwith breath’d into the beautiful clay The spirit of bis immortality, Then led her, dazzling with new life, to be Man’s companion and the first Woman, They all shout and applaud to the echo. The Hods showered their gifts on Bandora, Who pleased their eyes as true reflection Of their own celestial images, Zeus, setting her in the sphere Jle has allotted her, to share with man llominion o’er this mundane planet, Places in her hands a costly casket Cunningly wrought in gold and cedarwood, Inlaid with precious gems of value rare. Jove, with warning but loving tone of

voice. Did bid her not pry into its contents. Tor in the day that she did raise the lid Her domain and race would know peace no

mure. So gift-laden Bandura did join her mate Tu brighten (he hum.- in his rustic glens, Tu case his labour, with her beauty charm, And soothe with love's sweet companionship. But, in the shades uf her groves of orange, Or the repose uf her euiteh uf roses, H'.-r mind ever turn'd to that seal'd casket, Which, "I all the ulferings from the (bids, She did prize the must fur its mystery, Oft slic'd hold it to her, with eyes gleaming With curiosity, fatal passion, Whose source flowing from her. has ever fill’d The veins of her daughters in ev’ry nge: Mow, timid glances she easts on either side, As with seeming dread of some detection, So fearsome do inward promptings make her When Jove's divine 'caution she bears in mind : Then she puts the casket gently from her, And sulks and pouts her pretty carmine lips, Bike a fretful child Units forbid her toy. Anon she clasps it in her hands again, Her bosom heaving with a tierce desire To penetrate into its mystery. .She raises it near her face, then nearer ; Lays her timorous lingers on the locks : Then pauses, as dread once more tills her

brea.-t And magnifies the rustling of the leaves into sounds of coining apprehension. She thrusts it aside, lint that illsonie crave

Which is wuman’s twin nature docs urge her To the violation of dove's behest. Tbore, in an attitude full of witeb’ry Which displayed the contours of her divine

form. And every limb’s symmetrical lines ; With heighten'd beauty which excitement

lends To the colouring of her velvet skin, Sin; stands a model of yielding virtue. Oner, more her lingers lurk about the

springs That hold in bond Jupilers' fatal gift, Growing bold and brave as her passion glows, And tin; locks slowly bend beneath her

touch. Once she hesitates ; but hesitation Is the bublm rock she is wrecked upon, “dust one look, then seal it. light for ever.” The clasps are loos’d, the lid is slyly raised; Then, darling quick glances all around her, .She stealthily peeps within. ’Tis enough. Suddenly the casket is wrenched from her And dashed to the ground. Prom it do issue

A stream of strango shapes of frightful aspect. Pandora, alas ! quaking with, terror, And standing with eyes gaping wide with fear, And hands tightly clasped across her bosom, Gives forth shriek after shriek that do rend the air And convulse Nature's peace and harmony. Boasts, fowls, living things in confusion ’Fall fiercely on each other. Peace is dead. Those noxious , shapes, gathering size and strength, .Spread at ev’ry point o’er the face of earth And instil their insidious poison Through ev’ry clime, air, sea and nation. From that rich, now broken casket escap’d Kv ry evil which allliet this planet. Double-tongued Falsehood, Bod-handed murder; Sleek-faced Hypocrisy ; Foul adultery ; Bagged .Drunkenness ; (.'ringing ; Sneaking Plunder ; Bloody Persecution ; Harden'd Oppression ; Desolating War ; Devouring Pestilence; Ghastly Famine; Disease and Despair were foremost to rush Forth to the uttermost parts of the world Till all bad lied from the etijewell'd abode. Then Pandora, bewilder'd at the sight, And sorely stricken by her prying deed, Fell prostrate on her face in deadly swoon. But there remained in the deepest corner Of the forsaken casket a bright shape Full of loveliness and modesty. Twas Hope, inspirating, cheering spirit. Which did promise Pandora and her race Pardon (or her sin, and future triumph Over those malignant shapes she'd set free. H. A. (,'.