how did it come to this?
Stone Trees
Last night a sword-light in the sky
Flashed a swift terror on the dark.
In that sharp light the fields did lie
Naked and stone-like; each tree stood
Like a tranced woman, bound and stark.
Far off the wood
With darkness ridged the riven dark.
And cows astonish stared with fear,
And sheep crept the knees of cows,
And hares to their burrows slid,
And rooks were still in rigid boughs,
And all things else were still of hid.
From all the wood
Came but the owl's hoot, ghostly, clear.
In that cold trance the earth was held
It seemed an age, or time was nought.
Sure never from that stone-like field
Sprang golden corn, not from those chill
Grey granite trees was music wrought.
In all the wood
Even that tall popular hung stone still.
It seemed an age, or time was none...
Slowly the earth heaved out sleep
And shivered, and the trees of stone
And rain swept as birds flocking sweep.
Far off the wood
Rolled the slow thunders on the wind.
From all the wood came no brave bird,
No song broke through the close-fall'n night,
Nor any sound from the cowering herd:
Only a dog's long lonely howl
When from the window poured pale light.
And from the wood
The hoot came ghostly of the owl.
John Freeman
this poem sucked. today sucked. argh
