ies,
High hymning heavens--all
In this dread night
Writhe and shriek and choke and die
This long ghost-night--
While Thou art dumb.

Have mercy!
Have mercy upon us, miserable sinners!
Stand forth, unveil Thy Face,
Pour down the light
That seethes above Thy Throne,
And blaze this devil's dance to darkness!
Hear!
Speak!
In Christ's Great Name--

I hear!
Forgive me, God!
Above the thunder I hearkened;
Beneath the silence, now,--
I hear!

(Wait, God, a little space.
It is so strange to talk with Thee--
Alone!)

This gold?
I took it.
Is it Thine?
Forgive; I did not know.

Blood? Is it wet with blood?
'Tis from my brother's hands.
(I know; his hands are mine.)
It flowed for Thee, O Lord.

War? Not so; not war--
Dominion, Lord, and over black, not white;
Black, brown, and fawn,
And not Thy Chosen Brood, O God,
We murdered.
To build Thy Kingdom,
To drape our wives and little ones,
And set their souls a-glitter--
For this we killed these lesser breeds
And civilized their dead,
Raping red rubber, diamonds, cocoa, gold!

For this, too, once, and in Thy Name,
I lynched a Nigger--

(He raved and writhed,
I heard him cry,
I felt the life-light leap and lie,
I saw him crackle there, on high,
I watched him wither!)

_Thou?_
_Thee?_
_I lynched Thee?_

Awake me, God! I sleep!
What was that awful word Thou saidst?
That black and riven thing--was it Thee?
That gasp--was it Thine?
This pain--is it Thine?
Are, then, these bullets piercing Thee?
Have all the wars of all the world,
Down all dim time, drawn blood from Thee?
Have all the lies and thefts and hates--
Is this Thy Crucifixion, God,
And not that funny, little cross,
With vinegar and thorns?
Is this Thy kingdom here, not there,
This stone and stucco drift of dreams?

Help!
I sense that low and awful cry--

Who cries?
Who weeps?
With silent sob that rends and tears--
Can God sob?

Who prays?
I hear strong prayers throng by,
Like mighty winds on dusky moors--
Can God pray?

Prayest Thou, Lord, and to me?
_Thou_ needest me?
Thou _needest_ me?
Thou needest _me_?
Poor, wounded soul!
Of this I never dr