Ambergris

AMBERGRIS 93 So thou, so I ! The stone unhewn, Foursquare, the sphere of human hands immune, Was not yet chosen for the corner-piece And keystone of the Royal Arch of Sex ; Unsolved the ultimate x ; The virginal breeding breeze Was yet of either unstirred ; Unspoken the Great Word. 7. Then on a sudden, we knew. From deep to deep Reverberating, lightning unto lightning Across the sundering brightening Abyss of sorrow’s sleep, There shone the sword of love, and struck, and clove The intolerable veil, The woven chain of mail Prudence self-called, and folly known to who May know. Then, O sweet drop of dew, Thy limpid light rolled over and was lost In mine, and mine is thine. Peace, ye who praise ! ye but disturb the shrine ! This voice is evil over against the peace Here in the West, the holiest. Shaken and crossed. The threads Lachesis wove fell from her hands. The pale divided strands Were taken by thy master-hand, Eros ! Her evil thinkings cease, Thy miracles begin. Eros ! Eros !—Be silent ! It is sin Thus to invoke the oracles of order Their iron gates to unclose. The gross, inhospitable warder Of Love’s green garden of spice is well awake. Hell hath enough of Her three-headed hound ; But Love’s severer bound Knows for His watcher a more fearful shape, A formidable ape Skilled by lack art to mock the Gods profound In their abyss of under ground.