The Castle Of Beauty Poem by Emmanuel George Cefai

i.

In a town of old ancientness
a Poet Seer as in a vision
saw and what he saw, was
For what we see, be
as what we assert, be

ii.

He viewed a mist wherein
white semi-transparent
lay
a fairy virgin
half dressed half naked
she
to him to called as a drunken
fairy:
'Come Come
You already be
a Poet Seer not distant from
the Castle where all round
I pass my life, a paradise
of beauty for a Poet's eyes'.
She stopped and spoke not more
But dropped a plan, a document,
musty and old yet clear
as to the Castle where
one would find it easily.

iii.

So heard, the Poet-Seer anon
without a word
he
bent and gathered
the musty document
down from the floor where fell it
and
though musty and old and rare
and in the ancient characters
and lines and plans
he read, he saw, he planned
and his feet for the voyage onward
planned.

iv.

thus he
the voyage onward began
towards his directionality:
in a swoon of sleeping he
laid here and there
his feet yet sure
the brain guided him
in the train of a voyage long
through a dark wood and thick
where the trees one on other
grew
as if lovers with lust in
ever-increase together
clung.

v.

once in this wood that through
the foliage thick served
as a roof
as thick and welcome
rains started to pour
for the dusk coming was
and twilight on the horizon
in the distance rose.

vi.

how cold, how frost the winds
neighed
they full surrounded
the thicket of the trees
yet so close they entwined
that winds would barely
pass
as through the granite rocks
the rain or snows
pass not.


vii.

through sluggard snails over
he passed as inside further
and through the thicket wood
went the Poet Seer
though cold neighed outside
yet inside
how warm the thicket stood
as thick as fort walls of old
as strong as bastions great
as scented as a thousand flowers
not yet fallen asleep with beauty's
dowers.

viii.

though small, how as a fortress
stood tree by tree entwined
and joined that small wood!
When unity be there, then tiny
strengthened be!
and the Poet Seer through
the wood was moving constantly
into the direction where
the wood the Castle of Beauty
faced by and large a-directly.

ix.

trembled vibrating the walls
of the Castle of Beauty that
night of storm and tempest wild
shook the white burning stars
shook the earth the hills and
gurgled gargling the brook nearby
Thought circled round the Castle
to find a way in to join
with Beauty and her servants inside.

x.

Ah! but in the Castle Beauties
diverse inhabitants permanent
inhabitants of the edifice:
and Beauty with other competing
A Beauty made another look dull.

xi.

Ah! from the wood there's open
countryside
to the Castle of Beauty take
the dusty country road
that up the hill goes
five kilometers often so straight
but then there's guerdon at the height
for the arrival at the Castle's doors.

xii.

wait till the night deepening will
at last through its hours
passing freeze and atrophy
and then wait but few minutes
and lo! of sudden a delight
and on the hills and fields
the Dawn throws its first light.

*

and therefore our Poet Seer
by whispers sweet in his ear
betook him to sleep a few hours
in to that wood before
taking the voyage between wood
and Castle
whispered: 'At Dawn wake and go'
And so the Poet Seer betook to sleep.

xiv.

sweet was the sleep though all
around the tempest wild
hedged in with trumpeting sound
orchestra of cacophony, of
country animals orchestra a minstrelsy
and in the fading hours fleet of foot
many a thought and beauty came
to settle in the Poet Seer's tired brain.


xv.

In the Sub-Conscious! what thoughts will
not invade the fortress of the open
doors as the Sub-Conscious be!
what beauties will not sylph-like
fly! Dawn came and hand in hand
with it new day alighted our Earth:
crowed in the distance the noisy cocks
and barked the first dog in the fields
the first birds in the skies, the
first animals and men.
The wheel of day had started.
With them the voyage for the Poet Seer
Started towards the Castle of Beauty
Beckoning.

xvi.

Dawn brings on me new breath to lungs
And fresh oxygen to the brain
Alas! that these so momentary be!
Alas! that a few hours trudge
Down on such freshness to the last!
So the Poet Seer as a machine
That has been charged started on his
Way. The tempest had by depth of
Night subsided first, then gone.

xvii.

Therefore the country way strait and up
Lay drying from the torrents that
Had in the night engorged it.
The kind sun returned mud to dust.
The feet of the Poet Seer quickened.
High above with domes of red and hues
As in the Palace Red so graced the same
The noble Castle of Beauty that
In the relative distance in the haze of
Early morning beautiful stood glimmering



xviii.

Fleet of foot to the Castle arise
let one pace fire yet another pace
and as the Castle red and colors
near the more the untired legs
hasten and fly.
The day was still young.
And soon before the large doors of oak
The Poet Seer wandered at the turrets
old the wondrous masonry and the
windows diverse in style and facade
full of image, statue, design -
all handmaidens of the beautiful.

xix.

Anon a creaking heard - the main
door opens though empty before
a marble corridor no hand lies
in with a beating heart
entered the Poet Seer.
Behind him half way in the corridor
He heard the door close by itself
And he found himself in that castle old.

[For in the Castle of Beauty there was a hall for every main branch of Civilization.
The Poet-Seer toured all the halls aided by Minerva who appeared to him at the
midst of the grand stairs. At the end Minerva leads the Poet Seer to the door
of the Castle of Beauty and bades him to give beauty and wisdom to the Earth,
for these be inter transformable, and the more inter transformable the greater
the Civilization of the Earth. Here the Poem ends.]