Monday

The Windhover, To Christ our Lord

So, I know I said I was going to post Easter poems or lyrics every day this week, but I can imagine someone reading this and wondering how I ever got Easter-ness out of it.  Well, the truth is, I don't really know.  I guess because it is full of sun-rise imagery, or maybe because it talks about how beautiful the Windhover is, and then talks about the fire that broke from Christ being so much more beautiful and more glorious.  Anyhow, this poem speaks of Easter to me, and I thought maybe you all could enjoy it, too.

The Windhover
To Christ Our Lord
I caught this morning morning's minion, king-
      dom of daylight's dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding
      Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing
In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing,
      As a skate's heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding
      Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding
Stirred for a bird, – the achieve of, the mastery of the thing. 
Brute beauty and valour and act, oh, air, pride, plume, here
      Buckle! AND the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion
Times told lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier!

      No wonder of it: shéer plód makes plough down sillion
Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear,
      Fall, gall themselves, and gash gold-vermilion.

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