Labour
Within the boundary of weariness—
That near horizon dark with limbs' distress—
Shadow of turmoil and of consequence
In the crude jest and angry utterance,
Echoes of ribald laughter and the scorn
Poured out on ancient heads : on limbs outworn
Whose trembling fingers and slow-stumbling feet,
And eyes that have no gesture—neither greet
Nor curse the shape of futile heritage
That is life's permit and our living wage.
Rank Time through ancient eyes doles out the truth :
And we accept it ; for our birth and youth
Control not hopeless feeling, while the hand
Is over us that carries not the wand
Or miracle or magic, nor yet grace
In which calm eyes on other features trace
Great joy towards its final destiny.
Give to us not one fragment of your pity ;
But do not mock this form that Great Life made—
Whose rags this world have often nobly paid.
What we have found is ours—and ours to keep :
One silver stream, that finds when running deep
Security in sleep with Love's fair daughters.
We want no Christ to walk upon our waters !
Page(s) 3 (given as p.11)
magazine list
- Features
- zines
- 10th Muse
- 14
- Acumen
- Agenda
- Ambit
- Angel Exhaust
- ARTEMISpoetry
- Atlas
- Blithe Spirit
- Borderlines
- Brando's hat
- Brittle Star
- Candelabrum
- Cannon's Mouth, The
- Chroma
- Coffee House, The
- Dream Catcher
- Equinox
- Erbacce
- Fabric
- Fire
- Floating Bear, The
- French Literary Review, The
- Frogmore Papers, The
- Global Tapestry
- Grosseteste Review
- Homeless Diamonds
- Interpreter's House, The
- Iota
- Journal, The
- Lamport Court
- London Magazine, The
- Magma
- Matchbox
- Matter
- Modern Poetry in Translation
- Monkey Kettle
- Moodswing
- Neon Highway
- New Welsh Review
- North, The
- Oasis
- Obsessed with pipework
- Orbis
- Oxford Poetry
- Painted, spoken
- Paper, The
- Pen Pusher Magazine
- Poetry Cornwall
- Poetry London
- Poetry London (1951)
- Poetry Nation
- Poetry Review, The
- Poetry Salzburg Review
- Poetry Scotland
- Poetry Wales
- Private Tutor
- Purple Patch
- Quarto
- Rain Dog
- Reach Poetry
- Review, The
- Rialto, The
- Second Aeon
- Seventh Quarry, The
- Shearsman
- Smiths Knoll
- Smoke
- South
- Staple
- Strange Faeces
- Tabla Book of New Verse, The
- Thumbscrew
- Tolling Elves
- Ugly Tree, The
- Weyfarers
- Wolf, The
- Yellow Crane, The