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James Stephens

James Stephens

In the Cool of the Evening

I thought I heard Him calling. Did you hear
A sound, a little sound? My curious ear
Is dinned with flying noises, and the tree
Goes—whisper, whisper, whisper silently
Till all its whispers spread into the sound
Of a dull roar. Lie closer to the ground,
The shade is deep and He may pass us by.
We are so very small, and His great eye,
Customed to starry majesties, may gaze
Too wide to spy us hiding in the maze;
Ah, misery! the sun has not yet gone
And we are naked: He will look upon
Our crouching shame, may make us stand upright
Burning in terror—O that it were night!
He may not come . . . what! listen, list now—
He is here! lie closer . . . Adam, where art thou?

#IrishWriters

Altre opere di James Stephens...
O’Bruaidar

I will sing no more songs: the pri… Through forty long years of good r… And no one cared even as much as t… For the song or the singer, so her… If a person should think I compla…
The Shell

AND then I pressed the shell Close to my ear And listened well, And straightway like a bell Came low and clear
I Heard a Bird at Dawn

I heard a bird at dawn Singing sweetly on a tree, That the dew was on the lawn, And the wind was on the lea; But I didn’t listen to him,
The Lonely God

So Eden was deserted, and at eve Into the quiet place God came to… His face was sad, His hands hung… Along his robe; too sorrowful to f… He paced along the grassy paths an…
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The Devil’s Bag

I saw the Devil walking down the… Behind our house., There was a he… Strapped tightly on his shoulders,… Sizzled when it hit him. He pi… Up from the ground and put it in h…
The Old Man

An old man sat beneath a tree Alone; So still was he That, if he had been carved in sto… He could not be
Breakfast Time

The sun is always in the sky Whenever I get out of bed, And I often wonder why It’s never late.—My sister said She did not know who did the trick…
The Coral Island

His arms were round a chest of oak… It was clamped with brass and iron… An awful weight. After a while he… And I stole near to him.—His whit… As he peeped secretly about; he la…
In the Orchard

There was a giant by the Orchard… Peeping about on this side and on… And feeling in the trees: he was a… As the big apple tree, and twice a… His beard was long, and bristly-bl…
The Horse

A sparrow hopped about the street, And he was not a bit afraid; He flew between a horse’s feet, And ate his supper undismayed: I think myself the horse knew well
The Fifteen Acres

I cling and swing On a branch, or sing Through the cool, clear hush of M… Or fling my wing On the air, and bring
The Cow

Cow, Cow! I and thou Are looking at each other’s eyes You are lying on the grass Eating every time I pass,
The Wood of Flowers

I went to the Wood of Flowers (No one was with me): I was there alone for hours. I was happy as could be In the Wood of Flowers.
Westland Row

Every Sunday there’s a throng Of pretty girls, who trot along In a pious, breathless state (They are nearly always late) To the Chapel, where they pray
What the Devil Said

It was night time! God, the Fathe… Weary of praises, on a sudden stoo… From His great Throne, and leaned… For He had heard a sound; a littl… Thin as a whisper, climbing up the…



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