ILLUSIONS.
The greater cats with golden eyes Stare out between the bars. Deserts are there, and different skies, And night with different stars. They prowl the aromatic hill, And mate as fiercely as they kill. And hold the freedom of their will To roam, to live, to drink their fill. But this beyond their wit know’ I : Man loves a little, and for long shall die.
Their kind across the desert range "Where tulips spring from stones, Not knowing they will suffer change Or vultures pick their bones. Their strength's eternal in their sight, They rule the terror of the night. They overtake the deer in flight, And in their arrogance they smite. But I ain sage, if they are strong: Man's love is transient as his death is long.
Yet, oh, w hat powers to deceive; My w’it is turned to faith. And at this moment I believe In love and scout at death. I came from now’here. and shall be Strong, steadfast, swift, eternally; I am a lion, a stone, a tree. And as the polar star in me Is fixed my constant heart on thee. Ah. may I stay forever blind. With lions, tigers, leopards, and their kind. —V. Sackville-West, in the London Mercury.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW19300211.2.281.3
Bibliographic details
Otago Witness, Issue 3961, 11 February 1930, Page 68
Word Count
207ILLUSIONS. Otago Witness, Issue 3961, 11 February 1930, Page 68
Using This Item
Allied Press Ltd is the copyright owner for the Otago Witness. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons New Zealand BY-NC-SA licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Allied Press Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in