Page:The roamer and other poems (1920).djvu/71

Breasting the blue, far, far beyond recall
He soared, and bathed in light his new-found song.
And I arose, and as the torrents pour
In April, and the water-courses rush
To brim the river that roars out to sea,
Desire from all the spirit's heights leaped down
In wild tumultuous thought and speed to find
The ways of action and the throng of deeds;
And as, when tempests blow, the winds will break
On flood and forest, and the gathering blast
Louder and longer swells one mighty note,
So, in that hour, one nature-cadenced word
Struck on my soul, and smote its music forth,
Wild as a poet's in his stormy youth;
And with the night calm fell; and with the calm
The bird came silent home. For what was I?
A youth distrusted, unallied, obscure,
In all things poor save that one heavenly gift,
The wingèd heart within my bosom hid;
And must I loose it to the flashing swords,
And rifle the sweet lodging of my breast,
And bid the bird go sing through Italy
That song of his? No other deed there was,
No other way but this to give my life!
'O bella Libertà!' I carolled out;

The bird took flight, the throngèd street stood still;