Iii

It is time that I wrote my will; I choose upstanding men, That climb the streams until The fountain leap, and at dawn Drop their cast at the side Of dripping stone; I declare They shall inherit my pride, The pride of people that were Bound neither to Cause nor to State, Neither to slaves that were spat on, Nor to the tyrants that spat, The people of Burke and of Grattan That gave, though free to refuse-- Pride, like that of the morn, When the headlong light is loose, Or that of the fabulous horn, Or that of the sudden shower When all streams are dry, Or that of the hour When the swan must fix his eye Upon a fading gleam, Float out upon a long Last reach of glittering stream And there sing his last song. And I declare my faith; I mock Plotinus’ thought And cry in Plato’s teeth, Death and life were not Till man made up the whole, Made lock, stock and barrel Out of his bitter soul, Aye, sun and moon and star, all, And further add to that That, being dead, we rise, Dream and so create Translunar Paradise. I have prepared my peace With learned Italian things And the proud stones of Greece, Poet’s imaginings And memories of love, Memories of the words of women, All those things whereof Man makes a superhuman, Mirror-resembling dream.

As at the loophole there, The daws chatter and scream, And drop twigs layer upon layer. When they have mounted up, The mother bird will rest On their hollow top, And so warm her wild nest.

I leave both faith and pride To young upstanding men Climbing the mountain side, That under bursting dawn They may drop a fly; Being of that metal made Till it was broken by This sedentary trade.

Now shall I make my soul Compelling it to study In a learned school Till the wreck of body Slow decay of blood, Testy delirium Or dull decrepitude, Or what worse evil come-- The death of friends, or death Of every brilliant eye That made a catch in the breath-- Seem but the clouds of the sky When the horizon fades; Or a bird’s sleepy cry Among the deepening shades.

1926