The Man Speaks
| Author | Oppenheim, James |
|---|---|
| Genre | Poetry |
| Journal or Book | Songs for the New Era |
| Publisher | New York The Century Co. |
| Year of Publication | 1914 |
| Pages | 83-84 |
| Additional information | - |
The Man Speaks
YOU and I in the night, spied on by stars...
You and I in the belovéd night...
You and I within these walls.
A breath from the sea is kissing the housetops of the
city,
Kissing the roofs,
And dying into silence.
Earth and stars are in a trance,
They dream of passion, but cannot break their sleep.
They pass into us, and we are their passion, we are
their madness,
So shaped that we can kiss and clasp...
One kiss, then death, the miracle being spent.
Watchman, what of the night?
Sleep and birth! Toil and death!
Now the light of the topmost tower winks red and
ceases:
Now the lonely car echoes afar off...
Helen looked over the wine-dark seas of Greece, and
she was young.
But not younger than we, touching each other, while
dawn delays...
Dare we betray this moment?
Dare we die, missing this fire?
Whither goes massive Earth tonight, flying with the
stars down eternity?
We are alive: we are for each other.
