Petenwell Rock

I never shall forget the first gay night
I came for dancing here;
out of a long black road there bloomed this bright
portion of revel, near
a tall pine-wreathed rock, as certain as a wall.

Out of the night suddenly lights had mellowed
to warm young gold glistening against a hall
where dancers swayed like songs, and music bellowed
its anger against grief, and laughter flying
fell on my ears like sounded waterfall.

But overhead the whip-poor-wills were crying,
crowding all loneliness into one cry,
and a great rock maintained a wise old silence
lifting its strength into the starlight sky.

O silver loneliness!
O golden laughter!
O grief that only loneliness should last!
Madness will die, and youth will hurry after;
into some shadowed past
dancers will bow like dust, laughter will crumble,
while still beneath the silver of the moon
for loveliness and joy that died too soon
these plaintive birds will cry,
and this tall rock will watch with calm indifference.
holding itself aloof against the sky.

Copyright permission to publish has been given by the
Carmel of the Mother of God, Pewaukee Wisconsin. All rights reserved.

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