Danger

With what a childish and short-sighted sense
Fear seeks for safety; recons up the days
Of danger and escape, the hours and ways
Of death; it breathless flies the pestilence;
It walls itself in towers of defence;
By land, by sea, against the storm it lays
Down barriers; then, comforted, it says:
“This spot, this hour is safe.” Oh, vain pretence!
Man born of man knows nothing when he goes;
The winds blow where they list, and will disclose
To no man which brings safety, which brings risk.
The mighty are brought low by many a thing
Too small to name. Beneath the daisy’s disk
Lies hid the pebble for the fatal sling.

(2 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5)

Ye Mariners of England 1 Ye Mariners of England 2 That guard our native seas, 3 Whose flag has braved, a thousand years, 4 […]...

The Danger Of Writing Defiant Verse And now I have another lad! No longer need you tell How all my nights are slow and sad For […]...

II. Safety Dear! of all happy in the hour, most blest He who has found our hid security, Assured in the dark […]...

To Memory Strange Power, I know not what thou art, Murderer or mistress of my heart. I know I’d rather meet the […]...

Whoso List to Hunt Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind, But as for me, helas! I may no more. The […]...

TO PRIMROSES FILLED WITH MORNING DEW Why do ye weep, sweet babes? can tears Speak grief in you, Who were but born Just as the modest […]...

Prologue All in the golden afternoon Full leisurely we glide; For both our oars, with little skill, By little arms are […]...

Sonnet On The Death Of Mr Richard West In vain to me the smiling mornings shine, And redd’ning Phoebus lifts his golden fire: The birds in vain their […]...

The Fires Men make them fires on the hearth Each under his roof-tree, And the Four Winds that rule the earth They […]...

The Winds Out of the West Land Blow The winds out of the west land blow, My friends have breathed them there; Warm with the blood of lads […]...

A Nursery Darling A Mother’s breast: Safe refuge from her childish fears, From childish troubles, childish tears, Mists that enshroud her dawning years! […]...

Superior Mother, your baby is silly! She is so absurdly childish! She does not know the difference between the lights in […]...

TO HIS SWEET SAVIOUR Night hath no wings to him that cannot sleep; And Time seems then not for to fly, but creep; Slowly […]...

Its Hour with itself Its Hour with itself The Spirit never shows. What Terror would enthrall the Street Could Countenance disclose The Subterranean Freight […]...

Psalm 75 Power and government from God alone. [Applied to the glorious Revolution by King William, or the happy accession of King […]...

Psalm 135 part 2 v.5-12 L. M. The works of creation, providence, redemption of Israel, and destruction of enemies. Great is the Lord, exalted […]...

Under Saturn Do not because this day I have grown saturnine Imagine that lost love, inseparable from my thought Because I have […]...

Euthanasia When Time, or soon or late, shall bring The dreamless sleep that lulls the dead, Oblivion! may thy languid wing […]...

Hymn 34 part 1 The gospel the power of God to salvation. Rom. 1:16. What shall the dying sinner do That seeks relief for […]...

The Germ A mighty creature is the germ, Though smaller than the pachyderm. His customary dwelling place Is deep within the human […]...

I Remember, I Remember I Remember, I Remember I remember, I remember The house where I was born, The little window where the sun […]...

Crazy Jane And The Bishop Bring me to the blasted oak That I, midnight upon the stroke, (All find safety in the tomb.) May call […]...

How Fortunate The Man With None You saw sagacious Solomon You know what came of him, To him complexities seemed plain. He cursed the hour that […]...

Atmosphere Inscription for a Garden Wall Winds blow the open grassy places bleak; But where this old wall burns a sunny […]...

The Dead Blow out, you bugles, over the rich Dead! There’s none of these so lonely and poor of old, But, dying, […]...

In The Firelight The fire upon the hearth is low, And there is stillness everywhere, While like winged spirits, here and there, The […]...

344. Song-Nithdale's Welcome Hame THE NOBLE Maxwells and their powers Are coming o’er the border, And they’ll gae big Terreagles’ towers And set them […]...

He outstripped Time with but a Bout He outstripped Time with but a Bout, He outstripped Stars and Sun And then, unjaded, challenged God In presence of […]...

My Ships If all the ships I have at sea Should come a-sailing home to me, From sunny lands, and lands of […]...

Sonnet XXIV: O Thou! Meek Orb O thou! meek Orb! that stealing o’er the dale Cheer’st with thy modest beams the noon of night! On the […]...

Psalm 12 The saint’s safety and hope in evil times. Lord, if thou dost not soon appear, Virtue and truth will fly […]...

The Dark Hour And now, when merry winds do blow, And rain makes trees look fresh, An overpowering staleness holds This mortal flesh. […]...

To His Heart, Bidding It Have No Fear Be you still, be you still, trembling heart; Remember the wisdom out of the old days: Him who trembles before […]...

The Unappeasable Host The Danaan children laugh, in cradles of wrought gold, And clap their hands together, and half close their eyes, For […]...

Psalm XXXVI: High in the Heav'ns High in the heav’ns, eternal God, Thy goodness in full glory shines; Thy truth shall break through ev’ry cloud That […]...

TO BLOSSOMS Fair pledges of a fruitful tree, Why do ye fall so fast? Your date is not so past, But you […]...

A Mediocre Man I’m just a mediocre man Of no high-brow pretence; A comfortable life I plan With care and commonsense. I do […]...

Swallows Travel To And Fro SWALLOWS travel to and fro, And the great winds come and go, And the steady breezes blow, Bearing perfume, bearing […]...

I prayed, at first, a little Girl I prayed, at first, a little Girl, Because they told me to But stopped, when qualified to guess How prayer […]...

Spring Wind in London I Blow across the stagnant world, I blow across the sea, For me, the sailor’s flag unfurled, For me, the […]...

Related posts: