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They stamp the ground! They gash the ground! The long grass tickles their legs, their heels! They come in clattering swoops and reels!

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Beware their hoofs! Their pounding hoofs!
Like hail on roofs! On rickety roofs!
They scatter the flowers! The fields of flowers!
In petalling showers! Yellow-red showers!
With crashing hammer and thud and pound
The satyrs leap in a whirling bound!

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Their hoofs will shatter your garden walk! Their pound will smother your cautious talk!

They'll batter your red-geranium pot!

They'll gut your cabbage and onion plot!

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The laughter beat! The echoing beat
Of hammering feet! In the after heat
Of a clattering run, through miles of sun!

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Ho, yo, ho!

GOLD IN THE DESERT

MORNING HYMN

Thou holy White Shell!
The Deathless One-

To the Mountain Sisnajinni

He sendeth the sun's first glow,
The sun's first glow upon Thee,
His holy morning glow.
Dawn-maiden's mountain,
To thee will I go;
Morning-cloud mountain,
To thee will I go;
Holy-browed mountain,
To thee will I go.

Blessings there glow upon me—

Thither I go,

Thither, O soul,

O-ho, yo, yo!

THE SMOKE PRAYER

In the Land of the Dacotahs

The voice of a youth crying,

As it were a thin blue smoke
Ascending:

Great Mystery,

Do thou partake of this food

And still be gracious;

Make it unto me sinew of flesh,

Sinew of arm and the strong heart!
Thou who paintest the mountains black-
Behold, they stand as flint;

Thou who singest to the four winds

And lo, they dancing, sing:

Partake of this food and be thou gracious!

O great sheet of blue sky,

See me standing here,

Hear me crying here!

I have heard the voice of my fathers,

I have recited the deeds of my fathers,

I have done the commands of my fathersBe thou gracious,

Unto me give the heart of my fathers!

My limbs-they are the deer's

I have not smoked the fragrant plant;
My limbs they are the brown deer's-
I have not eaten the broth of weakness;
My limbs-they are the fleet brown deer's-
I have not sung the love song.

O thou holy and great Mystery,
Be thou gracious!—

Give unto me the heart of flint

I have spoken with the straight tongue;
Give unto me the heart of deer-

I have spoken with my timber brothers;
Give unto me the heart of flowers-

I have spoken with the sprig of sage.
Thou who hidest the nest of the moon,
Give unto me the heart of eagle:
That my people may find me filled
In my days of fasting;

That my enemy find me valiant
In my days of combat;

That thou find me reverent

Before the east wind,

Before the south wind,

Before thee, O sheet of blue sky.

Behold, I stand,

My face uplifted,

My hands up-raised,

My soul in nakedness before thee!

As it were a smoke ascending.

I HAVE BUT ONE LOVE

Pine tree, pine hearts, sigh ye;
Pine boughs, bend low, sigh ye,
Pine tongues sigh ye with me.
Night-long, I have but one dream-
Hear-me!

Day-long, death hunts my warrior-
Hear-me!

Truth-tree, I have but one love

Hear-me!

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