THE WISE
Behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying Where is He . . . ?
Miles across the turbulent kingdoms
They came for it, but that was nothing;
That was the least. Drunk with vision,
Rain stringing the ragged beards,
When a beast lamed they caught up another
And goaded west.
For the time was on them.
Once, as it may, in the life of a man;
Once, as it was, in the life of mankind,
All is corrected. And their years of pursuit,
Raw- eyed reading the wrong texts,
Charting the doubtful calculations;
Those nights knotted with thought,
When dawn held off, and the rooster
Rattled the leaves with his blind assertion —
All that, they regarded, under the Sign,
No longer as search but as preparation.
For when the mark was made they saw it.
Nor stopped to…
To view this resource, log in or sign up for a subscription plan
