THE EQUINOX
Thereat I was silent.
But gazingeagerly thereon, I beheld
one appointed, and I understood that the oak-leafwas sent from
the House.
Then I took counsel of him who is to this end appointed,
and with his own hand he brought to me a champak-blossom,
a mustard—seed, and again an oak-leaf.
And these I treasured in my bosom, though I hardly knew
wherefore.
Nor could I understandwhat purpose they should
serve, save darkly.
And seeing this, the dove came to me
again bearingan olive-branch; and with this I was so mightily
pleased that for awhile I forgot all else, and swam lustily in
the stream for my pleasure.
But now came a current of ice-cold water and enwrapped
me; and when I looked, it bore spots of blood upon it.
Then I
went hastily into the ark that was ever near by; and, climb-
ing to the roof by the ladder that I had before made, looked
through.
And all the sky was a hurricane, a madness of
storm.
Now in my eagerness I had approached closely to the roof,
so that the storm whirled me away into itself.
One might say
that I was the storm.
And when I came to myself I was
floating upon the bosom of the river, borne by that very bark
that once I had built myself in the lighthouse.
And in the
storm I had lost my hair and beard; for the wind had torn
all out by the root.
So that I heard a voice saying, “ It is a
babe upon the waters.”
And looking at the bark, I found it
refashioned by him that is appointed to refashion.
For it had
planks of my old shallop, and planks also of the ark, and it was
shaped like a cradle rather than like a boat.
And I heard the
voice of one appointed to speak saying: “ Behold thou me ! "
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