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AND AFTER I HAD MUSED A TIME,

I SAID OF MYSELF,

“FOOL!”

Lxi

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I

THERE WAS A MAN AND A WOMAN

WHO SINNED.

THEN DID THE MAN HEAP THE PUNISHMENT

ALL UPON THE HEAD OF HER,

AND WENT AWAY GAYLY.

Ii

THERE WAS A MAN AND A WOMAN

WHO SINNED.

AND THE MAN STOOD WITH HER.

AS UPON HER HEAD, SO UPON HIS,

FELL BLOW AND BLOW,

AND ALL PEOPLE SCREAMING, “FOOL!”

HE WAS A BRAVE HEART.

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Iii

HE WAS A BRAVE HEART.

WOULD YOU SPEAK WITH HIM, FRIEND?

WELL, HE IS DEAD,

AND THERE WENT YOUR OPPORTUNITY.

LET IT BE YOUR BRIEF

THAT HE IS DEAD

AND YOUR OPPORTUNITY GONE;

FOR, IN THAT, YOU WERE A COWARD.

Lxii

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THERE WAS A MAN WHO LIVED A LIFE OF FIRE.

EVEN UPON THE FABRIC OF TIME,

WHERE PURPLE BECOMES ORANGE

AND ORANGE PURPLE,

THIS LIFE GLOWED,

A DIRE RED STAIN, INDELIBLE;

YET WHEN HE WAS DEAD,

HE SAW THAT HE HAD NOT LIVED.

Lxiii

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THERE WAS A GREAT CATHEDRAL.

TO SOLEMN SONGS,

A WHITE PROCESSION

MOVED TOWARD THE ALTAR.

THE CHIEF MAN THERE

WAS ERECT, AND BORE HIMSELF PROUDLY.

YET SOME COULD SEE HIM CRINGE,

AS IN A PLACE OF DANGER,

THROWING FRIGHTENED GLANCES INTO THE AIR,

A-START AT THREATENING FACES OF THE PAST.

Lxiv

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FRIEND, YOUR WHITE BEARD SWEEPS THE GROUND.

WHY DO YOU STAND, EXPECTANT?

DO YOU HOPE TO SEE IT

IN ONE OF YOUR WITHERED DAYS?

WITH OUR OLD EYES

DO YOU HOPE TO SEE

THE TRIUMPHAL MARCH OF JUSTICE?

DO NOT WAIT, FRIEND?

TAKE YOUR WHITE BEARD

AND YOUR OLD EYES

TO MORE TENDER LANDS.

Lxv

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ONCE, I KNEW A FINE SONG,

—IT IS TRUE, BELIEVE ME,—

IT WAS ALL OF BIRDS,

AND I HELD THEM IN A BASKET;

WHEN I OPENED THE WICKET,

HEAVENS! THEY ALL FLEW AWAY.

I CRIED, “COME BACK, LITTLE THOUGHTS!”

BUT THEY ONLY LAUGHED.

THEY FLEW ON

UNTIL THEY WERE AS SAND

THROWN BETWEEN ME AND THE SKY.

Lxvi

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IF I SHOULD CAST OFF THIS TATTERED COAT,

AND GO FREE INTO THE MIGHTY SKY;

IF I SHOULD FIND NOTHING THERE

BUT A VAST BLUE,

ECHOLESS, IGNORANT,—

WHAT THEN!

Lxvii

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GOD LAY DEAD IN HEAVEN;

ANGELS SANG THE HYMN OF THE END;

PURPLE WINDS WENT MOANING,

THEIR WINGS DRIP-DROPPING

WITH BLOOD

THAT FELL UPON THE EARTH.

IT, GROANING THING,

TURNED BLACK AND BANK.

THEN FROM THE FAR CAVERNS

OF DEAD SINS

CAME MONSTERS, LIVID WITH DESIRE.

THEY FOUGHT,

WRANGLED OVER THE WORLD,

A MORSEL.

BUT OF ALL SADNESS THIS WAS SAD,—

A WOMAN’S ARMS TRIED TO SHIELD

THE HEAD OF A SLEEPING MAN

FROM THE JAWS OF THE FINAL BEAST.

Lxviii

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A SPIRIT SPED

THROUGH SPACES OF NIGHT;

AND AS HE SPED, HE CALLED,

“GOD! GOD!”

HE WENT THROUGH VALLEYS

OF BLACK DEATH-SLIME,

EVER CALLING,

“GOD! GOD!”

THEIR ECHOES

FROM CREVICE AND CAVERN

MOCKED HIM:

“GOD! GOD! GOD!”

FLEETLY INTO THE PLAINS OF SPACE

HE WENT, EVER CALLING,

“GOD! GOD!”

EVENTUALLY, THEN HE SCREAMED,

MAD IN DENIAL,

“AH, THERE IS NO GOD!”

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A SWIFT HAND,

A SWORD FROM THE SKY,

SMOTE HIM,

AND HE WAS DEAD.

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PRINTED BY JOHN WILSON AND SON CAMBRIDGE

Back cover
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Source:  OpenStax, Stephen crane's "the black riders and other lines". OpenStax CNX. Jul 30, 2009 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col10822/1.1
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