The Lost Legion
Dust of a host long dead,Grass now and lilies and leaves,Quickly and beautifully fledIn a time that no one remembers,Drifts in the wind and weavesRound the high-hung, mouldering rafterA wisp of the jests and the laughterSome one knew in the past;Breathes and blows on the embersOf the dying spirit of me.There is my gauntlet at last,Down in the ring with a cryTo the hopes that are deadAnd the friends that are fled.I am one with the tremulous past.With a song in my heart and a smile on my lipsI arise and await to depart,Nor sigh as the old life slips.This last call to you friends,Join me and dare and die?Or is it that friendship endsWith a little, impatient sigh?A little sigh and the sadder thought“He might have ruled our world,And here he is suddenly crazed and whirledOn an aimless search for the sky.”But the moon will shine on the towers,And the stars make beauty by night,The chimes turn mellow the hoursTill the still dawn waken the light.I never shall heed such a thing,For I shall be far in the westOn a dangerous, happy quest,And forget the others and sing:“Once there were friends, the best,To rise and search with a King.Did they shudder and shrink from the quest?”—I shall never heed such a thing.FRANK D. ASHBURN.
Dust of a host long dead,Grass now and lilies and leaves,Quickly and beautifully fledIn a time that no one remembers,Drifts in the wind and weavesRound the high-hung, mouldering rafterA wisp of the jests and the laughterSome one knew in the past;Breathes and blows on the embersOf the dying spirit of me.There is my gauntlet at last,Down in the ring with a cryTo the hopes that are deadAnd the friends that are fled.I am one with the tremulous past.With a song in my heart and a smile on my lipsI arise and await to depart,Nor sigh as the old life slips.This last call to you friends,Join me and dare and die?Or is it that friendship endsWith a little, impatient sigh?A little sigh and the sadder thought“He might have ruled our world,And here he is suddenly crazed and whirledOn an aimless search for the sky.”But the moon will shine on the towers,And the stars make beauty by night,The chimes turn mellow the hoursTill the still dawn waken the light.I never shall heed such a thing,For I shall be far in the westOn a dangerous, happy quest,And forget the others and sing:“Once there were friends, the best,To rise and search with a King.Did they shudder and shrink from the quest?”—I shall never heed such a thing.FRANK D. ASHBURN.
Dust of a host long dead,Grass now and lilies and leaves,Quickly and beautifully fledIn a time that no one remembers,Drifts in the wind and weavesRound the high-hung, mouldering rafterA wisp of the jests and the laughterSome one knew in the past;Breathes and blows on the embersOf the dying spirit of me.
Dust of a host long dead,
Grass now and lilies and leaves,
Quickly and beautifully fled
In a time that no one remembers,
Drifts in the wind and weaves
Round the high-hung, mouldering rafter
A wisp of the jests and the laughter
Some one knew in the past;
Breathes and blows on the embers
Of the dying spirit of me.
There is my gauntlet at last,Down in the ring with a cryTo the hopes that are deadAnd the friends that are fled.I am one with the tremulous past.With a song in my heart and a smile on my lipsI arise and await to depart,Nor sigh as the old life slips.
There is my gauntlet at last,
Down in the ring with a cry
To the hopes that are dead
And the friends that are fled.
I am one with the tremulous past.
With a song in my heart and a smile on my lips
I arise and await to depart,
Nor sigh as the old life slips.
This last call to you friends,Join me and dare and die?Or is it that friendship endsWith a little, impatient sigh?A little sigh and the sadder thought“He might have ruled our world,And here he is suddenly crazed and whirledOn an aimless search for the sky.”
This last call to you friends,
Join me and dare and die?
Or is it that friendship ends
With a little, impatient sigh?
A little sigh and the sadder thought
“He might have ruled our world,
And here he is suddenly crazed and whirled
On an aimless search for the sky.”
But the moon will shine on the towers,And the stars make beauty by night,The chimes turn mellow the hoursTill the still dawn waken the light.I never shall heed such a thing,For I shall be far in the westOn a dangerous, happy quest,And forget the others and sing:“Once there were friends, the best,To rise and search with a King.Did they shudder and shrink from the quest?”—I shall never heed such a thing.
But the moon will shine on the towers,
And the stars make beauty by night,
The chimes turn mellow the hours
Till the still dawn waken the light.
I never shall heed such a thing,
For I shall be far in the west
On a dangerous, happy quest,
And forget the others and sing:
“Once there were friends, the best,
To rise and search with a King.
Did they shudder and shrink from the quest?”
—I shall never heed such a thing.
FRANK D. ASHBURN.
FRANK D. ASHBURN.