THE BRIGHT RIDER

All the night through I drank

Sleep like water or cool cider;

Life flowed over and I sank

Down below the night of clouds....

Then on a pale horse was rider

Through long brushing woods

Where the owl in silence broods,

Quavers, and is quiet again;

Where the grass dark and rank

Breathes on the still air its rain.

Rain and dark and green and sound

Closing slowly round

Swept me as I rode,

And rode on until I came

Where a white cold river flowed

Under woods thin and bare

In the moon's long candle flame.

Through the woods the wind crawled

Leviathan, and here and there

Branches creaked and old winds howled

Sick for home.

All the night I saw the river,

As a girl that sees beside her

Love, between fear and fear

Riding, and is dumb.

The white horse turned to cross the river,

But the waters like a wall

Rose and hung dark over all;

And as they fell the river wider

Wider grew, and sky was bare

Save of the sick candle's stare.

Death the divider

Glittered cold and dark and deep

Under banks of fear.

But that rider

Trembling, bright, rode on,

Trembling and bright rode on

Through green lanes of sleep.