Sea Poems. Rice Cale Young

then, what nights!..

      The phantom moon in misty resurrection

      Arising from her sepulchre in the East

      And sparkling the dark waters —

      The unremembering moon!

      And covenants of star to faithful star,

      Dewy, like tears of God, across the sky;

      And under the moon's fair ring Orion running

      Forever in great war adown the West.

      What far, infinite nights!

      With cloud-horizons where the lightning slumbered

      Or wakened once and again with startled watch,

      Again to fall asleep

      And leave the moon-path free for all my thoughts

      To wander peacefully

      Away and still away

      Until the stars sighed out in dawn's great pallor,

      Just as the lands of my desire appeared.

      What memories … have I of it!

      A SONG OF THE OLD VENETIANS

      The seven fleets of Venice

      Set sail across the sea

      For Cyprus and for Trebizond

      Ayoub and Araby.

      Their gonfalons are floating far,

      St. Mark's has heard the mass,

      And to the noon the salt lagoon

      Lies white, like burning glass.

      The seven fleets of Venice —

      And each its way to go,

      Led by a Falier or Tron,