THE PRAYER
Like a cat beside a pool
More than half afraid of it,
Fishing gingerly I sit
Here beside this pool of wit—
Dumb as any fool!
Chirrups humor in the grass;
Winds of tickling laughter pass,
And the world grows wise forsooth,
Lets gleam amused tooth
Seeing in this water-glass
Jests that swim the depths of truth,
And like fins of fishes shiver
It to fretful quirk and quiver.
Ripples break and bubbles rise
Catching smiles from out the skies
In their globed eyes.
Surely, surely there was never
Such a pleasant river!
Only I am out of tune
Like an icicle in June,
Or a monster from the moon.
Dionysus, hear my prayer!
Spreading arms to the mute air,
I entreat thee, fashion me
One with this gay company,
One in mirth and one in song
Dartling their minds among.
Loosener of lips and heart,
Draw my sullen mouth apart.
Give a gleam to guide me by
As a phare in a night-sky—
Grace of tongue and warmth of eye;
Give me of thy fire and dew;
Give me flash of mimic art—
Spice of Godhead in this brew
To pierce my fellows thru and thru.
Oh, thou vintal Deity,
Loose my limbs that they may fly
With this reckless revelry!
Sick of sober ways am I;
In this tumult I alone
Am a satyr turned to stone;
Satyr—satyr—not a man!
Gifts I ask not of Apollo—
Wine is good and grief is hollow;
I would follow after Pan;
I would follow, follow, follow
After Pan!
Or if he wander ways too quiet,
Shepherd ways of warmth and ease,
Let me taste a wilder riot
In thy mysteries—
Let me quaff it, laugh it, cry it!
Give me, give me, give me these—
Fleet foot after those that flee,
Hot veins amorous to seize
Maenads maddened by the wine,
Wound with hair and wreathed with vine,
Maenads stained with purple lees—
Give me, give me, give me these.
Only this I ask of thee
Dionysus, Dionysus, son of Semele!