William Stanley Braithwaite, ed. (1878–1962). Anthology of Massachusetts Poets. 1922.
Hill-Fantasy
Sitteth by the red cairn a brown One, a hoofed One,
High upon the mountain, where the grasses fail.
Where the ash-trees flourish far their blazing bunches to the sun,
A brown One, a hoofed One, pipes against the gale.
No one but the pine trees and the white birch knew.
Over rocks I scrambled, looked up and saw that Strange Thing,
Peakèd ears and sharp horns, pricked against the blue.
Till the blue air crackled like a frost-film on a pool!
Oh, and how he spread himself, like a child whom no one heeds,
Tumbled chuckling in the brook, all sleek and kind and cool!
Bobbing, wagging wantonly they tickled him, and oh,
How his deft lips puckered round the reed, and seemed to chase and steal
Sky-music, earth-music, tree-music low!
Wiped his reed against the spotted doe-skin on his back,
He said, “Come up here, and I will teach thee piping now.
While the earth is singing so, for tunes we shall not lack.”
Up scrambled I. So we sat beside the cairn.
Broad into my face laughed that hornèd Thing so naughtily.
Oh, it was a rascal of a woodland Satyr’s bairn!
Move them like the little leaves and whirling midges. So!
Soon ’twill twist like tendrils and out-twinkle like the lost brook.
Move thy fingers merrily, and blow! blow! blow!”
Kick it on the red stone, whistle in my ear.
Brush thy crimson berries in my face, then hold thy breath, for—wait!
Joy comes bubbling to me lips. I pipe, oh, hear!
Old hard-heart mountain, dost thou hear me, how I blow?
Far away the sea-isles swim in sun-haze luminous.
Each one has a color like the seven-splendored bow.
Chipmunk chatt’ring in the beech, rabbit in the brake?
Furry arm around my neck: “Oh, Thou art a brave one, Thou!”
Satyr, little satyr-friend, my heart with joy doth ache!
Water over steaming rocks, water in the shade,
Storm-tune and sun-tune, how they flock up unto us,
Sitting by the red cairn, gay and unafraid!
Give me furry fingers and a secret furry tail!
Pleasant are thy smooth horns: if their like were on my brow
Might I not abide here, till the strong sun fail?
Sudden brush of velvet ears across my wind-cool cheek!
“Play-mate, Pipe-mate, thou askest one good boon too much.
I could never find thee horns, though day-long I seek.
Keep the pipe and play on it for all the world to hear.
Ah, but it was good once to sit together in the sun!
Though I have but half a soul, it finds thee very dear!
Take the pipe and go thy ways,—quick now, for the sun
Reels across the hot west and stumbles dazzled to the sea.
Take the pipe, and oh-one kiss! then run, run, run! run!”
All the leaves a-shivering, all the stones dead-gray.
O thou cold small pipe, which way is fled that Satyr’s bairn?
I am lost and all alone, and down drops the day.
There I got this Pipe o’ dreams. Strange, when I blow,
Something deep as human love starts a-crying, troubling.
Is it only sky-music, earth-music low?