<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="" class="head">"In the White City of Thy Soul"</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line">In the white city of thy soul</p><p class="line">I see thy flickering, dim desires,</p><p class="line">Like frozen fires,</p><p class="line">That faintly glow,</p><p class="line">And all the pinnacles and spires</p><p class="line">Are fashioned of virgin snow;</p><p class="line">Thro' the white city of thy soul,</p><p class="line">The thin wan feet of Fancies go.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">In the white city of thy soul</p><p class="line">Are great, unlit, mysterious towers,</p><p class="line">Where passionate Powers</p><p class="line">Are laid asleep,</p><p class="line">And all the paths are hid with flowers,</p><p class="line">Which only passing Angels reap;</p><p class="line">In the white city of thy soul,</p><p class="line">No joys exult, no sorrows weep.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">In the white city of thy soul,</p><p class="line">On silence built, with silence crowned,</p><p class="line">There is no sound--</p><p class="line">But whispered prayer.</p><p class="line">No laughter in the streets is found,</p><p class="line">Nor curse of sin, nor sign of care.</p><p class="line">In the white city of thy soul</p><p class="line">All things are calm, and cold, and fair.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Round the white city of thy soul</p><p class="line">High battlements and ramparts run,</p><p class="line">Keeping the sun</p><p class="line">And wind away;</p><p class="line">And dreams in cloistered shadows shun</p><p class="line">The light and noise of garish day.</p><p class="line">Round the white city of thy soul</p><p class="line">Are turrets tall, and strong, and grey.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">It lies, the city of thy soul,</p><p class="line">White and mysterious and dim,</p><p class="line">Filled to the brim</p><p class="line">With poesio--</p><p class="line">A chalice with a carven rim</p><p class="line">Of fleur de lys.</p><p class="line">It sleeps, the city of thy soul,</p><p class="line">From pity and from passion free.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Yet to the city of thy soul</p><p class="line">A day will come, when every wall</p><p class="line">Will shake, will fall,</p><p class="line">Will crash asunder,</p><p class="line">For to thy heart a heart will call</p><p class="line">With a beat of thunder,</p><p class="line">And all the city of thy soul</p><p class="line">Will grow alight with joy and wonder.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Then, in the city of thy soul,</p><p class="line">The frozen flames will flare and leap,</p><p class="line">The Powers asleep</p><p class="line">Irradiant rise;</p><p class="line">In the green gardens men will reap</p><p class="line">Beauty, and wisdom, songs and sighs,</p><p class="line">And all the city of thy soul</p><p class="line">Will be alive with happy eyes.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">In the white city of thy soul,</p><p class="line">The cloistered dreams will all come true,</p><p class="line">And dance in dew,</p><p class="line">And hail the sun,</p><p class="line">And all the visions they pursue,</p><p class="line">Of fancy born, of moonlight spun,</p><p class="line">In the white city of thy soul</p><p class="line">Will grow incarnate one by one.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">In the white city of thy soul,</p><p class="line">Each dim arcade, each mystic street,</p><p class="line">Will grow as sweet</p><p class="line">As April-tide;</p><p class="line">And Joy will run with the happy feet</p><p class="line">And rosy blushes of a bride,</p><p class="line">For, through the city of thy soul,</p><p class="line">Love like a King will ride.</p></div></body></html> · Great War