James
Elroy
Flecker .
MARY
MAGDALEN .
o
EYES
that
strip
the
souls
of men !
There
came
to me the Magdalen :
Her blue robe with
a
cord
was bound ,
Her
hair
with knotted
ivy
crowned .
" Arise ,"
she
said ,
" God
calls for
thee ,
Turned
to
new
paths
thy
feet must be.
Leave
the fever
and
the feast,
Leave
the friend
thou
lovest
best;
For
thou must
walk
in barefoot ways,
On
hills, where God
is near
to
praise .
Then
answered
I, “ Sweet Magdalen ,
God 's servant, once
beloved
of men ,
Why
didst thou
change
old ways for
new ,
Thy trailing
red
for
corded
blue ,
Roses
for
ivy
on
thy
brow ,
That
splendour
for
this
barren
vow
?
”
Gentle
of
speech
she
answered
me
:
"
Sir
,
I
was
sick
with
revelry
.
True
,
I
have
scarred
the night
with
sin,
A
pale and tawdry heroine
;
But
once
I
heard
a
voice that
said
'
Who
lives
in
sin
is
like one dead
,
But
follow
:
thy dark
eyes
shall
see
The
towns
of
immortality
!'
"