Constantine
Michaelides .
* THE
FOREST
OF MASSACHUSETTS
BEFORE
THE COMING
OF THE ENGLISH .
THE agelong
rest of trees swept wide and far
1
Upon
the breast of the unwakened
earth ,
The
silent forest spoke
in
changeless
tongues
The mystic
speech
of things
as yet
unborn ,
Wild
roared
and broke
the
sea
upon
the coast
Wearing
the
aging
patience
of the rocks ;
And
out upon
her
never
sail was
seen
To
break
the
flowing
pageant
of
the
hours
;
The rivers wound unfettered
through
the
plains
And told
the listless
listening
forests
tales
Of far
-
off
mountains
,
and
the pathless
sea
Where
footsteps live only
in
the dreams
of
men
.
At dawn
the
sun
called
forth
the hosts
of
leaves
Marshalled
to
hail
him
in
bright
green
and
gold
,
Paling
before
him
in
the
light
of
noon
,
Rich
-
clad
in
evening
,
as
though
each
still
leaf
Spoke
strange dreams
to
the
sky
and
setting
sun
In
speech
to
men
and beasts inscrutable
.
Then
night
,
hushing
the day
,
brought
them
to
sleep
,
And
,
haunted
,
woke the phantoms
of
still
shapes
Tossing
their
muted
shadows
'
gainst
the
sky
In
wild
-
haired
phantasy
of
plaint unseen
.
Mighty
and
stern
the earthborn
trunks
beneath
Bore
up
the mystic
splendour
of
the leaves
.
Those
trunks
stood wrinkled
with
a
thousand
years
And
stern
to
seers
as
sailless
masts
in
gales
,
125