ON THE ELEUSINIAN WAY—SPRING
Hush! Walk slowly;
All this winding road is holy;
Place your votive image in a niche
By Pass of Daphne, where rocks forward pitch.
Now, sit lowly—
Under dim firs that cool the dust-white way
Curving from Athens to Eleusis Bay.
Soft! Speak lightly!
See’st this myriad Concourse? all the sprightly
Luminous Mystæ? Naked flower forms
Dancing in close commingled color-swarms
So brightly?
Follow them in their green-hot Mænad flame,
Their sweet mysterious rapture of no name.
Watch! Far-seeing
Demeter’s yellow torches fitful fleeing.
And seed processions moving towards the shrine
Where motion, moisture, act in soft sunshine;
And being
Earth-taught, flower-figures of desire
Sway toward white Oreads quick with fire.
Take, unceasing
Joy of powers these Mystæ are releasing
Eternal, they, who seem so lovely-brief.
Soft luminous shapes of petal and of leaf
Increasing,
They sweep across Semele’s ancient fields
Handing the torch the calm Earth-mother yields.
Yea—the senses
Have their holy truths and recompenses
Sweetly simple may their teachings be
“Wine flashing clusters from a sacred tree”;
Defences
From all our sorry wisdoms have these flowers
Who teach deep truths with Dionysiac powers!