Lava, lava. Slow and thick
Earth oozes, shudders and is sick.
Earth oozes, shudders and is sick.
How they will gape at the molten stone,
Take earth's illness for their own,
And groan. . . .
Take earth's illness for their own,
And groan. . . .
There they will stand, stormed by pain,
The obscene flood, the lewd stain.
The obscene flood, the lewd stain.
Across the glassy zones of ice
Comes the long writhe and the slow hiss,
Sluggish red, the fire's kiss—
Snaky mark in paradise.
Comes the long writhe and the slow hiss,
Sluggish red, the fire's kiss—
Snaky mark in paradise.
And who is this delivers them?
The serpent, yea, the very same
Who was their doom and shame.
The serpent, yea, the very same
Who was their doom and shame.
Cast down your haughty diadem,
Your paradisal diadem,
Into the lava flame.
Your paradisal diadem,
Into the lava flame.
Now all the pent-up rivers run
In headlong silence under sun;
And miracle, O, miracle,
The silver fluid in their veins
Is moving in a miracle:
In headlong silence under sun;
And miracle, O, miracle,
The silver fluid in their veins
Is moving in a miracle:
In them their own volcanoes seethe.
And their bright bodies breathe. . . .
And their bright bodies breathe. . . .
