The Sword of Song

ASCENSION DAY 21 That worthy Yankee millionaire, And wealthy nephews, young and fair, The pleasing Crawfords ! Lost ! Lost ! Lost !78 “The Holy Spirit, friend ! beware !” Ah ! ten days yet to Pentecost ! Come that, I promise you—but stay ! At present ’tis Ascension Day ! At least your faith should be content. I quarrel not with this event. The supernatural element ? I deny nothing—at the term It is just Nothing I affirm. The fool (with whom is wisdom, deem The Scriptures—rightly !) in his heart Saith (silent, to himself, apart) This secret : “\yhla }ya”79 See the good Psalm ! And thus, my friend ! My diatribes approach the end And find us hardly quarelling. And yet—you seem not satisfied ? The literal mistranslated thing Must not by sinners be denied. Go to your Chapel then to pray ! (I promise Mr. Chesterton80 Before the Muse and I have done A grand ap-pre-ci-a-ti-on Of Brixton on Ascension Day.) He’s gone—his belly filled enough ! This Robert-Browning-manqué stuff ! ’Twill serve—Mercutio’s scratch !—to show Where God and I are disagreed. There ! I have let my feelings go This once. Again ? I deem not so. Once for my fellow-creature’s need ! The rest of life, for self-control,81 For liberation of the soul !82 This once, the truth ! In future, best Dismissing Jesus with a jest. Ah ! Christ ascends ?83 Ascension day ? Old wonders bear the bell84 away ? Santos-Dumont, though ! Who can say ? 745 750 755 760 765 770 775 780 The reader may hope. Summary. Reader dis- missed to chapel. Future plans of poet. Jesus dismissed with a jest. The Jest.