The sun shines, as of old; the stars look down from heaven; the moon, crescent, sails in the twilight; on bushy tops in the warm nights, naked, with mad dance and song, the earth-children address themselves to love;
Civilisation sinks and swims, but the old facts remain – the sun smiles, knowing well its strength.
The little red stars appear once more on the hazel boughs, shining among the catkins; over waste lands the pewit tumbles and cries as at the first day; men with horses go out on the land – they shout and chide and strive – and return again glad at evening; the old earth breathes deep and rhythmically, night and day, summer and winter, giving and concealing herself.
I arise out of the dewy night and shake my wings.
Tears and lamentations are no more. Life and death lie stretched below me. I breathe the sweet aether blowing of the breath of God.
Deep as the universe is my life – and I know it; nothing can dislodge the knowledge of it; nothing can destroy, nothing can harm me.
Joy, joy arises – I arise. The sun darts overpowering piercing rays of joy through me, the night radiates it from me.
I take wings through the night and pass through all the wildernesses of the worlds, and the old dark holds of tears and death – and return with laughter, laughter, laughter:
Sailing through the starlit spaces on outspread wings, we two – O laughter! laughter! laughter!
Edward Carpenter
poetrytotreasure 