Stephen Crane: War Is Kind XXI

XXI

A man said to the universe:
"Sir, I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
"A sense of obligation."

--Stephen Crane, from War Is Kind

Stephen Crane: Black Riders XXVIII

XXVIII


"Truth," said a traveller,
"Is a rock, a mighty fortress;
"Often have I been to it,
"Even to its highest tower,
"From whence the world looks black."

"Truth," said a traveller,
"Is a breath, a wind,
"A shadow, a phantom;
"Long have I pursued it,
"But never have I touched
"The hem of its garment."

And I believed the second traveller;
For truth was to me
A breath, a wind,
A shadow, a phantom,
And never had I touched
The hem of its garment.

               --Stephen Crane,
                   from Black Riders and Other Lines

Stephen Crane: Black Riders XLVII

 XLVII

"Think as I think," said a man,
"Or you are abominably wicked;
"You are a toad." 

And after I had thought of it,
I said, "I will, then, be a toad."

   --Stephen Crane, from Black Riders and Other Lines

Stephen Crane: Black Riders XIII

(Stephen Crane: Nov. 1, 1871-June 5, 1900)

XIII

If there is a witness to my little life,
To my tiny throes and struggles,
He sees a fool;
And it is not fine for gods to menace
       Fools.

   --Stephen Crane, from Black Riders 
                               and Other Lines

Stephen Crane: There Was a Crimson Clash of War

           
                                                  
                                        XIV

There was a crimson clash of war.

Lands turned black and bare;

Women wept;

Babes ran, wondering.

There came one who understood not these 

          things.

He said, "Why is this?"

Whereupon a million strove to answer

          him.

There was such intricate clamour of 

          tongues,

That still the reason was not.

                                     
                                             --Stephen Crane, from Black Riders and Other Lines

Stephen Crane: XXVI from Black Riders

There was set before me a mighty hill,
and long days I climbed
through regions of snow.
When I had before me the summit-view,
it seemed that my labor
had been to see gardens
lying at impossible distances.

--Stephen Crane, from The Black Riders and Other Lines, XXVI

Stephen Crane: A Learned Man

XX

A learned man came to me once.
He said, "I know the way,--come."
And I was overjoyed at this.
Together we hastened.
Soon, too soon, were we
Where my eyes were useless,
And I knew not the ways of my feet.
I clung to the hand of my friend;
But at last he cried, "I am lost."

--Stephen Crane, The Black Riders and Other Lines