George Santayana (1863-1952)

“These strewn thoughts, by the mountain pathway sprung”

 
 
 

These strewn thoughts, by the mountain pathway sprung,

a 
 

I conned for comfort, till I ceased to grieve,

b 
 

And with these flowering thorns I dare to weave

b 
 

The crown, great Mother, on thine altar hung.

a 
 5

Teach thou a larger speech to my loosed tongue,

a 
 

And to mine opened eyes thy secrets give,

c 
 

That in thy perfect love I learn to live,

c 
 

And in thine immortality be young.

a 
 

The soul is not on earth an alien thing

d 
 10

That hath her life's rich sources otherwhere;

e 
 

She is a parcel of the sacred air.

e 
 

She takes her being from the breath of Spring,

d 
 

The glance of Phoebus is her fount of light,

f 
 

And her long sleep a draught of primal night.

f