Page:The city of dreadful night - and other poems (IA cityofdreadfulni00thomrich).pdf/47

 But lingered near until I heard no more, And marked the closing of the massive door.

Of all things human which are strange and wild This is perchance the wildest and most strange, And showeth man most utterly beguiled, To those who haunt that sunless City's range; That he bemoans himself for aye, repeating How Time is deadly swift, how life is fleeting, How naught is constant on the earth but change.

The hours are heavy on him and the days; The burden of the months he scarce can bear; And often in his secret soul he prays To sleep through barren periods unaware, Arousing at some longed-for date of pleasure; Which having passed and yielded him small treasure, He would outsleep another term of care.

Yet in his marvellous fancy he must make Quick wings for Time, and see it fly from us; This Time which crawleth like a monstrous snake, Wounded and slow and very venomous;