Sleeping Out: Full Moon Poem by Rupert Brooke

Sleeping Out: Full Moon

Rating: 2.6


They sleep within. . . .
I cower to the earth, I waking, I only.
High and cold thou dreamest, O queen, high-dreaming and lonely.

We have slept too long, who can hardly win
The white one flame, and the night-long crying;
The viewless passers; the world's low sighing
With desire, with yearning,
To the fire unburning,
To the heatless fire, to the flameless ecstasy! . . .

Helpless I lie.
And around me the feet of thy watchers tread.
There is a rumour and a radiance of wings above my head,
An intolerable radiance of wings. . . .

All the earth grows fire,
White lips of desire
Brushing cool on the forehead, croon slumbrous things.
Earth fades; and the air is thrilled with ways,
Dewy paths full of comfort. And radiant bands,

The gracious presence of friendly hands,
Help the blind one, the glad one, who stumbles and strays,
Stretching wavering hands, up, up, through the praise

Of a myriad silver trumpets, through cries,
To all glory, to all gladness, to the infinite height,
To the gracious, the unmoving, the mother eyes,
And the laughter, and the lips, of light.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Susan Williams 09 February 2016

Heart-rending and consoling to think of our sons and brothers and husbands dying in the dark of a suffering battlefield and then the touch of the angels gathering them sweetly up and carrying them lovingly to heaven- -a beautiful soulful poem

18 1 Reply
Ratnakar Mandlik 09 February 2016

Lips of light. Fantastic imagery depicted in the beautifully penned meaningful poem. Thanks for sharing.

3 1 Reply
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Rupert Brooke

Rupert Brooke

Warwickshire / England
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