Bats Earcuff

Sleek, faery creature,

Strange freak of Nature

That through the twilight comes and goes,

Could we the mystery

Of thy life's history

Resolve, and learn what no man knows,

From what weird forces,

What hidden sources,

Thy winged soul sprang into being

Then might we clearly

Divine more nearly

The world that lies beyond our seeing.

Quaint, mimic angel!

Thy new evangel

Disclose, and share it now with me,

While through the gloaming

Thus lightly roaming,

Thou flittest round this old oak tree;

Tell me what Ages,

What Cosmic stages,

Evolved thy Spirit in the Past;

The far stars glisten,—

Speak, for I listen;

Teach me the Wisdom that thou hast.

Nay, spectral flitter,

Where glow-worms glitter,

Thou art more silent than the sphinx;

Through eras ended

Thou hast descended

Down from the sphere of 'missing links',—

Like pterodactyl

Thy race runs back till

The distance foils our dazèd sight,

To prehistoric,

Rude, allegoric,

Brute offspring of the Infinite.

The Past hath vanished,

From memory banished,

What of the Future canst thou tell?

In words aesthetic,

Sage and prophetic,

Our doubting and our fears dispel;

When life is over

Shall Darkness cover

Thy twilight wanderings with the Night,—

Or from Death's portal

Wilt thou immortal

Speed forth into the realm of light?

Mute mystic rover!

Could we discover

Thy wisdom though thou answer'st not,

There is no human,

Or man or woman,

But hath the knowledge thou hast got;

We know we know not!

The gods bestow not

On thee a wider, clearer view;—

Thou art surrounded,

On all sides bounded,

By thine own ignorance,—adieu!