RAPID TRANSIT

Climbing is easy and swift on Parnassus!

Knocking my pipe out, I entered a bookshop;

There found a book of verse by a young poet.

Comrades at once, how I saw his mind glowing!

Saw in his soul its magnificent rioting —

Then I ran with him on hills that were windy,

Basked and laughed with him on sun-dazzled beaches,

Glutted myself on his green and blue twilights,

Watched him disposing his planets in patterns,

Tumbling his colors and toys all before him.

I questioned life with him, his pulses my pulses;

Doubted his doubts, too, and grieved for his anguishes.

Salted long kinship and knew him from boy-hood —

Pulled out my own sun and stars from my knapsack,

Trying my trinkets with those of his finding —

And as I left the bookshop

My pipe was still warm in my hand.