Page:Poems Barrett.djvu/74

 As the torrent tears an ocean-world to atoms,—
 As the whirlpool grinds fathoms below fathoms,—
     Thus,—and thus!
  Second Spirit.
 As the yellow toad, that spits its poison chilly,—
 As the tiger, in the jungle, crouching stilly,—
 As the wild boar, with ragged tusks of anger,—
 As the wolf-dog, with teeth of glittering clangour,—
 As the vultures that scream against the thunder,—
 As the owlets that sit and moan asunder,—
     Thus,—and thus!
 Eve. Adam! God!
 Adam.Ye cruel, cruel, unrelenting Spirits
By the power in me of the sovran soul,
Whose thoughts keep pace yet with the angels' march,
I charge you into silence—trample you
Down to obedience.—I am king of you!
   Earth Spirits.
      Ha, ha! thou art king!
      With a sin for a crown,
      And a soul undone:
      Thou, who antagonised,
      Tortured and agonised,
      Art held in the ring
      Of the zodiac!
      Now, king, beware!
      We are many and strong,
      Whom thou standest among,—
      And we press on the air,
      And we stifle thee back,
      And we multiply where
      Thou wouldst trample us down
      From rights of our own,
      To an utter wrong—
    And, from under the feet of thy scorn,
        O forlorn!
    We shall spring up like corn,
    And our stubble be strong.