Classic Poem

I a.

The sun at his zenith
hangs, directly overhead to all men.
So, to each of us, face to face, directly;
Jesus stood, —
cooling his wounded feet
in the surface clay of the pasture,
watching goat-men drive their goats
from right to left, below the mound
along a road with sudden bends
to shear them in the cave where he was born. q.
While goat-men sheared their herd
in the cave past our left hand
What was his final word?
Will you comprehend?
— " Say it not, " we cried
" Say not " I am that I am" or we kill you.
We want to know where the Lord is. "
And we all ran together, closing the circle.
Like swords, our threats turned in our throats.
" Say not " I am I" lest we make you nought
and we would only ask you to lead us where we would go "
and he came on inward, and
He,
the center,
was gone. p.
What had be said? Can I remember?
" Fools of God, wise in loud words
I am not truth, I am He. " o.
And before that had said : " Judge not
though I would tip the scales
of all who weigh
and, at each tilt, exact
more silver for less gold. " n.
And before " Judge to precipitate contagious act.
Judge not the act
which gives the power to judge.
Ask not for Why . Ask only for the How .
Judge not two words I bring you,
Yes and No ; these two shall not taste death.
All other words take meanings I make strange. " m.
And before that had said:
— " Lies trap the doors of mouth and ears,
at the tongues and teeth of questioning
where thought falls, prone.
There I listen with the ears of a liar,
but watch for thought, whether Yes or No ,
poised in silence for them who keep silence. " l.
While blue flax dropped its petals before noon;
the goats were herded to the cave.
— " Ask and receive, " he said.
" Speak, he silent, reject, do not question.
Be not as dogs guarding lambs
but weak as only the strong dare seem:
be sheep in the midst of wolves. "
— " What, mocking shepherd, if the lambs be killed? "
" Lambs never fear wolves after death. " k.
What had he said while, through still heat
blue flowers slept in private nights?
" My second birth makes you unborn to me,
sheep, heard through fog.
(See the flax close before the mounting sun) "
Do I remember the wonder?
" Strugglers, your dark questioned leapings
wedged embers between rock
in a certain place, towards the left hand
whence now their pent light
I loose from caves, reborn. " j.
Lizards sought creviced refuges from heat
Can I remember what he said?
— " Go on searching till you find.
When you have found, you wonder.
He that wonders, does well
and in working takes his rest. " i.
Below the mound the goat-men ralled
their herds to halt.
While drooping flax flowers bowed
John, who was wise among us, cried:
— " What is truth? By your words
there is but little in the world. "
And he replied:
— " They in the world measure their truth.
Know their measures, and know my truth. "
— " Rumor speaks a wiser answer
of Jesus, — who kept silent. "
— " I have not come here now
to act out wisdom among
the wise in desire for knowledge
and the unwise not to discern,
but for you to seek to know form
as the blind know, who see not light nor shade. " h.
I remember now
how turning full on Peter, he replied:
" Do we cheat your eyes who need
no shade to show our form?
Give me one to know our dark roots of doubt.
He will need light to see our pods of truth
no more than I need shade to be made seen. " g.
What was said before that?
Do I remember how Peter had answered?
" You cheat
who tip our measured scales that weigh!
You do not seek truth.
Neither is it truth we seek.
We seek the One in the Maze.
You are the Devil.
You are a devil who this , —
a bodiless demon who that , —
you are a devil who: —
furthermore; why do you cast no shadow? " f.
He said, while lizards crept
forth to the morning heat:
" The golden bars are not your own
nor silver coin
only your scales are yours,
so test these scales.
Empty both pans to hold the level dial
and watch the tongue tilt swift, and soon less swift,
tilt back, to near its pause, pass its true crisis
repass, and stand still. Look how the tongue has bent
since it was given you, Peter.
Whose gold could tell the white coins' weight
with your scales' twisted tongue? " e.
What had he said before?
Do I remember?
— " Lay hold on me, handle me. Try me in your scales.
But test the scales with first and greater care.
True scales and false all come to balance.
No man can judge scales until they be emptied.
You are a judge, indeed,
but your judged one reverses your judgment. " d.
While sunbeams tickled sluggish lizards
to the wise stranger, we,
strangers to wisdom, replied:
— " You do not ask us what we give.
Word-changers long ago, now we are judges.
Why would you have us unmask words?
We will not, for your prongs of doubt
snatch truth from men who handle thought.
We do not test words. As Judges we weigh souls
to prove from scales once given us,
if any judge preside within. " c.
To what did we make answer
while the last morning dew upon the meadows dried?
Lip to ear, and ear to mouth
a score of ears, two lips, one tongue
had said: — " Be money changers. Retain
good metal, reject bad. Ye Exchangers,
in you, God weighs his scales.
Free from all dangers, prove my words
even as you proved silver. " b.
So much do I remember. Dust of goats
rose on the distant right, and near words fell:
— " Grasp me between your fingers.
Break me in twain.
Suck the honey unprisoned
from the bee's cracked belly.
Suck bees' honey.
Fear not the sweetness.
Rather fear (it is a brave fear)
something foreign to the sweet
some bitter sap, memorial brine
which sours passion too much lingered on.
Thomas, remember my sting.
It is not questioning, but doubt. "
So much do I remember.
I remember all but the wonder.