Fires of Driftwood

First published by McClelland & Stewart, Limited, Toronto, 1922.
The thanks of the author are due to the editors of Ainslee’s Magazine, The American Magazine, The Canadian Magazine, Canadian Home Journal, The Canadian Bookman, The Forum, The Globe, Harper’s Magazine, The Independent, The Ladies’ World, McClure’s Magazine, Metropolitan Magazine, The Reader Magazine, Scribner’s Magazine, Saturday Night, and The Youth’s Companion for permission to publish this verse in its present form.
ON what long tides Do you drift to my fire, You waifs of strange waters? From what far seas, What murmurous sands, What desolate beaches— Flotsam of those glories that were ships!
I gather you, Bitter with salt, Sun-bleached, rock-scarred, moon-harried, Fuel for my fire.
You are Pride’s end. Through all to-morrows you are yesterday. You are waste, You are ruin, For where is that which once you were?
I gather you. See! I set free the fire within you— You awake in thin flame! Tremulous, mistlike, your soul aspires, Blue, beautiful, Up and up to the clouds which are its kindred! What is left is nothing— Ashes blown along the shore!
WHEN, as a lad, at break of day I watched the fishers sail away, My thoughts, like flocking birds, would follow Across the curving sky’s blue hollow, And on and on— Into the very heart of dawn!
For long I searched the world—ah, me! I searched the sky, I searched the sea, With much of useless grief and rueing Those wingéd thoughts of mine pursuing— So dear were they, So lovely and so far away!
I seek them still and always must Until my laggard heart is dust And I am free to follow, follow, Across the curving sky’s blue hollow, Those thoughts too fleet For any save the soul’s swift feet!
DEATH met a little child who cried For a bright star which earth denied, And Death, so sympathetic, kissed it, Saying: “With me All bright things be!”— And only the child’s mother missed it.
Death met a maiden on the brae, Her eyes held dreams life would betray, And gallant Death was greatly taken— “Leave,” whispered he, “Your dream with me And I will see you never waken.”