COLLECTED POEMS
"Flow," lie says, "and flow along, but you cannot flow away from us;
All the world's ice will never keep you far from us;
Every man that heeds your call takes the way that leads him
The one way that's his way, and lives his own life :
Starve or laugh, the game goes on, and on goes the river ;
Gold or no, they go their way twelve men together.
"Twelve," he says, "who sold their shame for a lure you call too fair for them
You that laugh and flow to the same word that urges them :
Twelve who left the old town shining in the sunset,
Left the weary street and the small safe days :
Twelve who knew but one way out, wide the way or narrow :
Twelve who took the frozen chance and laid their lives on yellow.
"Flow by night and flow by day, nor ever once be seen by them ;
Flow, freeze, and flow, till time shall hide the bones of them ;
Laugh and wash their names away, leave them all forgotten,
Leave the old town to crumble where it sleeps;
Leave it there as they have left it, shining in the valley,
Leave the town to crumble down and let the women marry.
"Twelve of us or five," he says, "we know the night is on us now :
Five while we last, and we may as well be thinking now :
Thinking each his own thought, knowing, when the light comes,
Five left or none left, the game will not be lost.
Crouch or sleep, we go the way, the last way together :
Five or none, the game goes on, and on goes the river.
"For after all that we have done and all that we have failed to do,
Life will be life and a world will have its work to do :
Every man who follows us will heed in his own fashion
The calling and the warning and the friends who do not know:
190
