Moods
Ben Hecht
I have heard the water beasts roaring in the night,Leaping and howling,Stung to madness by the tempest’s might.I have seen them splintering their heads in a furious race,Plunging through the bellowing gloomWith a boom ... boom ... boom—And from each torn faceI have watched their white bloodSweeping in a foam across the night.I have heard the water beasts snarling at the wild beating blowsOf the strong handed winds that tore them into rowsAnd churned their entrails into hissing snows.The water is a restless smile soft as a woman’s hair.At noon it closes its vast blue eye and falls asleep.At night as the swooning day gives birth,The water is an opal glitteringOn the gnarled black fist of the earth.I have heard the water purring in the sun with its blue back arched,And have seen the drowsy water beasts rising from their beds.I have heard them chant as they formed and marchedWith their green peaked hoods tipping rakish on their heads.The water is frozen. Under its stiffened bosomThe beasts run blindly to and froAnd rising from beneathCrunch one another with their frozen teeth.It burns.My soul is like water.
I have heard the water beasts roaring in the night,Leaping and howling,Stung to madness by the tempest’s might.I have seen them splintering their heads in a furious race,Plunging through the bellowing gloomWith a boom ... boom ... boom—And from each torn faceI have watched their white bloodSweeping in a foam across the night.I have heard the water beasts snarling at the wild beating blowsOf the strong handed winds that tore them into rowsAnd churned their entrails into hissing snows.The water is a restless smile soft as a woman’s hair.At noon it closes its vast blue eye and falls asleep.At night as the swooning day gives birth,The water is an opal glitteringOn the gnarled black fist of the earth.I have heard the water purring in the sun with its blue back arched,And have seen the drowsy water beasts rising from their beds.I have heard them chant as they formed and marchedWith their green peaked hoods tipping rakish on their heads.The water is frozen. Under its stiffened bosomThe beasts run blindly to and froAnd rising from beneathCrunch one another with their frozen teeth.It burns.My soul is like water.
I have heard the water beasts roaring in the night,Leaping and howling,Stung to madness by the tempest’s might.I have seen them splintering their heads in a furious race,Plunging through the bellowing gloomWith a boom ... boom ... boom—And from each torn faceI have watched their white bloodSweeping in a foam across the night.I have heard the water beasts snarling at the wild beating blowsOf the strong handed winds that tore them into rowsAnd churned their entrails into hissing snows.
I have heard the water beasts roaring in the night,
Leaping and howling,
Stung to madness by the tempest’s might.
I have seen them splintering their heads in a furious race,
Plunging through the bellowing gloom
With a boom ... boom ... boom—
And from each torn face
I have watched their white blood
Sweeping in a foam across the night.
I have heard the water beasts snarling at the wild beating blows
Of the strong handed winds that tore them into rows
And churned their entrails into hissing snows.
The water is a restless smile soft as a woman’s hair.At noon it closes its vast blue eye and falls asleep.At night as the swooning day gives birth,The water is an opal glitteringOn the gnarled black fist of the earth.I have heard the water purring in the sun with its blue back arched,And have seen the drowsy water beasts rising from their beds.I have heard them chant as they formed and marchedWith their green peaked hoods tipping rakish on their heads.
The water is a restless smile soft as a woman’s hair.
At noon it closes its vast blue eye and falls asleep.
At night as the swooning day gives birth,
The water is an opal glittering
On the gnarled black fist of the earth.
I have heard the water purring in the sun with its blue back arched,
And have seen the drowsy water beasts rising from their beds.
I have heard them chant as they formed and marched
With their green peaked hoods tipping rakish on their heads.
The water is frozen. Under its stiffened bosomThe beasts run blindly to and froAnd rising from beneathCrunch one another with their frozen teeth.
The water is frozen. Under its stiffened bosom
The beasts run blindly to and fro
And rising from beneath
Crunch one another with their frozen teeth.
It burns.My soul is like water.
It burns.
My soul is like water.
The night is a black poppy.The moon weepsSpilling a torrent of silver tearsAcross the black petals.The wind laughs.The black face of the waterGlistens with rows of flashing teethLaughing back.Always laughter.Ho, the stars are little devilsAnd I am their master.
The night is a black poppy.The moon weepsSpilling a torrent of silver tearsAcross the black petals.The wind laughs.The black face of the waterGlistens with rows of flashing teethLaughing back.Always laughter.Ho, the stars are little devilsAnd I am their master.
The night is a black poppy.The moon weepsSpilling a torrent of silver tearsAcross the black petals.The wind laughs.The black face of the waterGlistens with rows of flashing teethLaughing back.Always laughter.Ho, the stars are little devilsAnd I am their master.
The night is a black poppy.
The moon weeps
Spilling a torrent of silver tears
Across the black petals.
The wind laughs.
The black face of the water
Glistens with rows of flashing teeth
Laughing back.
Always laughter.
Ho, the stars are little devils
And I am their master.
Faces. Faces.Swimming like white fever specks away.Faces. Coming close.See the meaningless odd bumps on them called features:A maniac crooning over lumps of putty fashioned them.Look. Important faces!And there—nice empty ones(Yellow bits of paper blanksBlown along the street.)And look. Good God! A happy one!Faces.Crazy bumped and colored discsBobbing, bobbing,Swimming, fadingLike white fever specksI am one of them.
Faces. Faces.Swimming like white fever specks away.Faces. Coming close.See the meaningless odd bumps on them called features:A maniac crooning over lumps of putty fashioned them.Look. Important faces!And there—nice empty ones(Yellow bits of paper blanksBlown along the street.)And look. Good God! A happy one!Faces.Crazy bumped and colored discsBobbing, bobbing,Swimming, fadingLike white fever specksI am one of them.
Faces. Faces.Swimming like white fever specks away.Faces. Coming close.See the meaningless odd bumps on them called features:A maniac crooning over lumps of putty fashioned them.Look. Important faces!And there—nice empty ones(Yellow bits of paper blanksBlown along the street.)And look. Good God! A happy one!Faces.Crazy bumped and colored discsBobbing, bobbing,Swimming, fadingLike white fever specksI am one of them.
Faces. Faces.
Swimming like white fever specks away.
Faces. Coming close.
See the meaningless odd bumps on them called features:
A maniac crooning over lumps of putty fashioned them.
Look. Important faces!
And there—nice empty ones
(Yellow bits of paper blanks
Blown along the street.)
And look. Good God! A happy one!
Faces.
Crazy bumped and colored discs
Bobbing, bobbing,
Swimming, fading
Like white fever specks
I am one of them.
The rain is like laughter.The black devils of my brainHave leaped outside the windowAnd are laughing at me.
The rain is like laughter.The black devils of my brainHave leaped outside the windowAnd are laughing at me.
The rain is like laughter.The black devils of my brainHave leaped outside the windowAnd are laughing at me.
The rain is like laughter.
The black devils of my brain
Have leaped outside the window
And are laughing at me.
(To W.)
Come, thief, an epic seethes within my brainI will condense it to a sighAnd breathe it in your ear.Come to my arms, the mad words startThere is a sonnet in my finger tipsThere is a lyric bursting from my heartI will condense them all intoA single kiss upon your lips.
Come, thief, an epic seethes within my brainI will condense it to a sighAnd breathe it in your ear.Come to my arms, the mad words startThere is a sonnet in my finger tipsThere is a lyric bursting from my heartI will condense them all intoA single kiss upon your lips.
Come, thief, an epic seethes within my brainI will condense it to a sighAnd breathe it in your ear.
Come, thief, an epic seethes within my brain
I will condense it to a sigh
And breathe it in your ear.
Come to my arms, the mad words startThere is a sonnet in my finger tipsThere is a lyric bursting from my heartI will condense them all intoA single kiss upon your lips.
Come to my arms, the mad words start
There is a sonnet in my finger tips
There is a lyric bursting from my heart
I will condense them all into
A single kiss upon your lips.
You shall stand on a rock in the darknessNaked and shining with beauty.And I shall sit by the water and gaze on youAnd as you come gliding through the mists,Struggling out of the night’s black mouth,I shall rush to you and embrace the moon.You shall lie on the rock like the crest of a waveWhite and vague in the distance.Your hair shall play over you like a sunbeamAnd as I come running to you I shall embrace the sea.You shall play on the wide sheets of sandGolden against the blue water paintCurling over the edge of the worldAnd your arms shall beckon to me until I shall go madAnd run to you to embrace the sun.You shall lie, a silver jewel in the ebony arms of shadows,Your breath stirring the white flowers of your bosomYou shall lie in the velvet depths of silenceLike a white stain on the night.You shall call to me and I shall bend over you,And that is all there is to life—I bending over you in the darkness.
You shall stand on a rock in the darknessNaked and shining with beauty.And I shall sit by the water and gaze on youAnd as you come gliding through the mists,Struggling out of the night’s black mouth,I shall rush to you and embrace the moon.You shall lie on the rock like the crest of a waveWhite and vague in the distance.Your hair shall play over you like a sunbeamAnd as I come running to you I shall embrace the sea.You shall play on the wide sheets of sandGolden against the blue water paintCurling over the edge of the worldAnd your arms shall beckon to me until I shall go madAnd run to you to embrace the sun.You shall lie, a silver jewel in the ebony arms of shadows,Your breath stirring the white flowers of your bosomYou shall lie in the velvet depths of silenceLike a white stain on the night.You shall call to me and I shall bend over you,And that is all there is to life—I bending over you in the darkness.
You shall stand on a rock in the darknessNaked and shining with beauty.And I shall sit by the water and gaze on youAnd as you come gliding through the mists,Struggling out of the night’s black mouth,I shall rush to you and embrace the moon.
You shall stand on a rock in the darkness
Naked and shining with beauty.
And I shall sit by the water and gaze on you
And as you come gliding through the mists,
Struggling out of the night’s black mouth,
I shall rush to you and embrace the moon.
You shall lie on the rock like the crest of a waveWhite and vague in the distance.Your hair shall play over you like a sunbeamAnd as I come running to you I shall embrace the sea.
You shall lie on the rock like the crest of a wave
White and vague in the distance.
Your hair shall play over you like a sunbeam
And as I come running to you I shall embrace the sea.
You shall play on the wide sheets of sandGolden against the blue water paintCurling over the edge of the worldAnd your arms shall beckon to me until I shall go madAnd run to you to embrace the sun.
You shall play on the wide sheets of sand
Golden against the blue water paint
Curling over the edge of the world
And your arms shall beckon to me until I shall go mad
And run to you to embrace the sun.
You shall lie, a silver jewel in the ebony arms of shadows,Your breath stirring the white flowers of your bosomYou shall lie in the velvet depths of silenceLike a white stain on the night.You shall call to me and I shall bend over you,And that is all there is to life—I bending over you in the darkness.
You shall lie, a silver jewel in the ebony arms of shadows,
Your breath stirring the white flowers of your bosom
You shall lie in the velvet depths of silence
Like a white stain on the night.
You shall call to me and I shall bend over you,
And that is all there is to life—
I bending over you in the darkness.