Daily Whitman

Vaqueiros

Salut au Monde!

7
  I see the battle-fields of the earth, grass grows upon them and
      blossoms and corn,
  I see the tracks of ancient and modern expeditions.

  I see the nameless masonries, venerable messages of the unknown
      events, heroes, records of the earth.

  I see the places of the sagas,
  I see pine-trees and fir-trees torn by northern blasts,
  I see granite bowlders and cliffs, I see green meadows and lakes,
  I see the burial-cairns of Scandinavian warriors,
  I see them raised high with stones by the marge of restless oceans,
      that the dead men's spirits when they wearied of their quiet
      graves might rise up through the mounds and gaze on the tossing
      billows, and be refresh'd by storms, immensity, liberty, action.

  I see the steppes of Asia,
  I see the tumuli of Mongolia, I see the tents of Kalmucks and Baskirs,
  I see the nomadic tribes with herds of oxen and cows,
  I see the table-lands notch'd with ravines, I see the jungles and deserts,
  I see the camel, the wild steed, the bustard, the fat-tail'd sheep,
      the antelope, and the burrowing wolf

  I see the highlands of Abyssinia,
  I see flocks of goats feeding, and see the fig-tree, tamarind, date,
  And see fields of teff-wheat and places of verdure and gold.

  I see the Brazilian vaquero,
  I see the Bolivian ascending mount Sorata,
  I see the Wacho crossing the plains, I see the incomparable rider of
      horses with his lasso on his arm,
  I see over the pampas the pursuit of wild cattle for their hides.

 

Posted on 22/08/2014, in literature, poetry and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. 1 Comment.

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