Stanza 2. The Hound of Heaven.
With expository comments.
I pleaded, outlaw-wise,
By many a hearted casement, curtained red,
Trellised with intertwining charities;
(For, though I knew His love Who followèd,
Yet was I sore adread
Lest having Him, I must have naught beside).
But, if one little casement parted wide,
The gust of His approach would clash it to.
Fear wist not to evade, as Love wist to pursue.
Across the margent of the world I fled,
And troubled the gold gateways of the stars,
Smiting for shelter on their clangèd bars;
Fretted to dulcet jars
And silvern chatter the pale ports o’ the moon.
I said to Dawn: Be sudden—to Eve: Be soon;
With thy young skiey blossoms heap me over
Float thy vague veil about me, lest He see!
I tempted all His servitors, but to find
My own betrayal in their constancy,
In faith to Him their fickleness to me,
Their traitorous trueness, and their loyal deceit.
To all swift things for swiftness did I sue;
Clung to the whistling mane of every wind.
Plashy with flying lightnings round the spurn o’ their
feet:—
Fear wist not to evade as Love wist to pursue.
Still with unhurrying chase,
And unperturbèd pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
Came on the following Feet,
And a Voice above their beat—
‘Naught shelters thee, who wilt not shelter Me.’
Stanza 2.
YOU may have the sense of the unborn, undying, immutable. is close on your heels. Then, you deem yourself as a lawless criminal. This is a self-scam.
This view of yourself is not accurate. BUT…you believe in it because you want to continue with your addictions. YOU are habituated as an addict. You surrender to your addictions and habits rather than fulfill the requirements of awareness.
a. Awareness requires practice.
b. And dispassion.
c. Purify your mind.
Even though YOU know the Way to freedom is surrender to the hound of heaven, you choose to carry on as usual. YOU run for cover, protection, another.
YOU sense that there is something greater than the metallic world but are unable to let YOUR fear go. YOU are afraid to pursue something higher.
Are YOU Unwilling? What keeps YOU chained?
YOU want to hide and conceal yourself because YOU feel uworthy.
The last line is the strongest. Without awakening to the divine, life will continuously feel threatening to YOU.
This is a strong medicine poem. Don’t give up! Keep studying yourself.
Contact yao.xiang.editor@gmail.com to reach a priest.
