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Title: Tribute
Author: William Rose Benet [
More Titles by Benet]
Remembering one woman I have seen
And have known,
Benignant eyes, nobility of mien,
A scarf from off a perfect shoulder blown,
Solicitude, white ardor in a face,
Motions like water under the moon's grace,--
I wonder much how men can be so base,
So worse than stone.
Oh murmurings of music through the world,
Ye women born
To arduous things and angers, and upwhirled
Like tongues of flame through smoke of the world's scorn,
Crystalline lights, awful and fitful gleams
Of reconciliation with our dreams,
Through you alone the world's true spirit streams
Sounding her silver horn.
All things I wish for you that height may hold,
Who hold the race,
Oh desperate runners on the track unrolled
Over the highlands now, in the sun's face;
O swift and free, hoverers on the verge
Whence the impossible things we mocked emerge,--
O wings--wings--sliding the starry surge
And veering on the chase!
The satyr and the centaur race below
Deriding wings above.
Manful they meet and fight to overthrow
All they are wearied of,--
Manful they build, demolish, drive, are driven,--
But you are free, who have more greatly striven,
Yours is the light above their lightless heaven,
For yours is Love!
[The end]
William Rose Benet's poem: Tribute
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