THE JUGGLER
You’veseen him balanced with his staff,Far up—and giving death the laugh?The Juggler—confident and proudAbove the gaping, breathless crowd!So in the gathering storm, he swayed—The Forest Juggler—unafraid!Schooled by the blasts of centuries,Proudly he looked on lesser trees,Rearing his mighty head on highAgainst the red-streaked western sky.Then broke the gale—the clouds unlocked,And such a wind as never rockedHis stalwart trunk, now made him dance.He swayed in ancient confidenceTill once he reached—too far! Then allHis shaft went toppling to the fall,With grinding boughs and crunch and thud.Upripped those gorgon-roots, the mud—Wide-flung, left but a crater-holeWhere it had towered—that giant bole!The wind has gone upon his way,A patch of sky shows where he lay—Who juggled long and fearlesslyUntil a greater came than he.
You’veseen him balanced with his staff,Far up—and giving death the laugh?The Juggler—confident and proudAbove the gaping, breathless crowd!So in the gathering storm, he swayed—The Forest Juggler—unafraid!Schooled by the blasts of centuries,Proudly he looked on lesser trees,Rearing his mighty head on highAgainst the red-streaked western sky.Then broke the gale—the clouds unlocked,And such a wind as never rockedHis stalwart trunk, now made him dance.He swayed in ancient confidenceTill once he reached—too far! Then allHis shaft went toppling to the fall,With grinding boughs and crunch and thud.Upripped those gorgon-roots, the mud—Wide-flung, left but a crater-holeWhere it had towered—that giant bole!The wind has gone upon his way,A patch of sky shows where he lay—Who juggled long and fearlesslyUntil a greater came than he.
You’veseen him balanced with his staff,Far up—and giving death the laugh?The Juggler—confident and proudAbove the gaping, breathless crowd!So in the gathering storm, he swayed—The Forest Juggler—unafraid!Schooled by the blasts of centuries,Proudly he looked on lesser trees,Rearing his mighty head on highAgainst the red-streaked western sky.Then broke the gale—the clouds unlocked,And such a wind as never rockedHis stalwart trunk, now made him dance.He swayed in ancient confidenceTill once he reached—too far! Then allHis shaft went toppling to the fall,With grinding boughs and crunch and thud.Upripped those gorgon-roots, the mud—Wide-flung, left but a crater-holeWhere it had towered—that giant bole!The wind has gone upon his way,A patch of sky shows where he lay—Who juggled long and fearlesslyUntil a greater came than he.