经典诗歌：The Cross-Roads
下面是学习啦小编为大家带来艾米·洛威尔的经典诗歌：The Cross-Roads，希望大家喜欢!
学习啦在线学习网 A bullet through his heart at dawn. On
the table a letter signed
with a woman's name. A wind that goes howling roundthe
house,
and weeping as in shame. Cold November dawnpeeping through
the windows,
cold dawn creeping over the floor, creeping up his coldlegs,
学习啦在线学习网 creeping over his cold body, creeping across his coldface.
A glaze of thin yellow sunlight on the staring eyes. Wind
howling
学习啦在线学习网 through bent branches. A wind which never dies down. Howling,
学习啦在线学习网 wailing.
The gazing eyes glitter in the sunlight. The lids are
frozen open
and the eyes glitter.
学习啦在线学习网 The thudding of a pick on hard earth. A spade grinding
and crunching.
Overhead, branches writhing, winding, interlacing, unwinding, scattering;
学习啦在线学习网 tortured twinings, tossings, creakings. Wind flinging
学习啦在线学习网 branches apart,
学习啦在线学习网 drawing them together, whispering and whining among them. A
waning,
lobsided moon cutting through black clouds. A stream
of pebbles and earth
学习啦在线学习网 and the empty spade gleams clear in the moonlight, then is rammed
again
学习啦在线学习网 into the black earth. Tramping of feet. Men
and horses.
学习啦在线学习网 Squeaking of wheels.
"Whoa! Ready, Jim?"
学习啦在线学习网 "All ready."
Something falls, settles, is still. Suicides
have no coffin.
"Give us the stake, Jim. Now."
学习啦在线学习网 Pound! Pound!
学习啦在线学习网 "He'll never walk. Nailed to the ground."
学习啦在线学习网 An ash stick pierces his heart, if it buds the
roots will hold him.
He is a part of the earth now, clay to clay. Overhead
the branches sway,
and writhe, and twist in the wind. He'll never walk with
a bullet
in his heart, and an ash stick nailing him to the cold, black ground.
学习啦在线学习网 Six months he lay still. Six months. And the
water welled up in his body,
and soft blue spots chequered it. He lay still, for the
ash stick
held him in place. Six months! Then her face
学习啦在线学习网 came out of a mist of green.
学习啦在线学习网 Pink and white and frail like Dresden china, lilies-of-the-valley
学习啦在线学习网 at her breast, puce-coloured silk sheening about her. Under
学习啦在线学习网 the young
green leaves, the horse at a foot-pace, the high yellow wheels of
the chaise
scarcely turning, her face, rippling like grain a-blowing,
under her puce-coloured bonnet; and burning beside her, flaming
within
his correct blue coat and brass buttons, is someone. What
has dimmed the sun?
学习啦在线学习网 The horse steps on a rolling stone; a wind in the branches makes
a moan.
The little leaves tremble and shake, turn and quake, over and over,
tearing their stems. There is a shower of young leaves,
and a sudden-sprung gale wails in the trees.
学习啦在线学习网 The yellow-wheeled chaise is rocking -- rocking,
and all the branches
学习啦在线学习网 are knocking -- knocking. The sun in the sky is a flat,
学习啦在线学习网 red plate,
学习啦在线学习网 the branches creak and grate. She screams and cowers,
学习啦在线学习网 for the green foliage
is a lowering wave surging to smother her. But she sees
学习啦在线学习网 nothing.
The stake holds firm. The body writhes, the body squirms.
The blue spots widen, the flesh tears, but the stake wears well
in the deep, black ground. It holds the body in the still,
black ground.
Two years! The body has been in the ground two years.It
is worn away;
it is clay to clay. Where the heart moulders, a greenish
dust, the stake
is thrust. Late August it is, and night; a night flauntingly
jewelled
with stars, a night of shooting stars and loud insectnoises.
Down the road to Tilbury, silence -- and the slowflapping of large
leaves.
Down the road to Sutton, silence -- and the darkness of heavy-foliaged
trees.
Down the road to Wayfleet, silence -- and the whirring scrape of
insects
学习啦在线学习网 in the branches. Down the road to Edgarstown, silence
学习啦在线学习网 -- and stars like
学习啦在线学习网 stepping-stones in a pathway overhead. It is very quiet
学习啦在线学习网 at the cross-roads,
学习啦在线学习网 and the sign-board points the way down the four roads, endlessly
points
学习啦在线学习网 the way where nobody wishes to go.
学习啦在线学习网 A horse is galloping, galloping up from Sutton. Shaking
the wide,
学习啦在线学习网 still leaves as he goes under them. Striking sparks with
学习啦在线学习网 his iron shoes;
silencing the katydids. Dr. Morgan riding to a child-birth
学习啦在线学习网 over Tilbury way;
riding to deliver a woman of her first-born son. One
o'clock from
Wayfleet bell tower, what a shower of shooting stars! And
a breeze
学习啦在线学习网 all of a sudden, jarring the big leaves and making them jerk up
and down.
学习啦在线学习网 Dr. Morgan's hat is blown from his head, the horse swerves, and
curves away
学习啦在线学习网 from the sign-post. An oath -- spurs -- a blurring of
grey mist.
A quick left twist, and the gelding is snorting and racing
学习啦在线学习网 down the Tilbury road with the wind dropping away behind him.
The stake has wrenched, the stake has started,
学习啦在线学习网 the body, flesh from flesh,
学习啦在线学习网 has parted. But the bones hold tight, socket and ball,
and clamping them down
学习啦在线学习网 in the hard, black ground is the stake, wedged through ribs and
spine.
The bones may twist, and heave, and twine, but the stake holds them
still
学习啦在线学习网 in line. The breeze goes down, and the round stars shine,
for the stake
学习啦在线学习网 holds the fleshless bones in line.
学习啦在线学习网 Twenty years now! Twenty long years! The body
has powdered itself away;
学习啦在线学习网 it is clay to clay. It is brown earth mingled with brown
学习啦在线学习网 earth. Only flaky
bones remain, lain together so long they fit, although not one bone
is knit
学习啦在线学习网 to another. The stake is there too, rotted through, but
upright still,
学习啦在线学习网 and still piercing down between ribs and spine in a straight line.
学习啦在线学习网 Yellow stillness is on the cross-roads, yellow
stillness is on the trees.
学习啦在线学习网 The leaves hang drooping, wan. The four roads point four
学习啦在线学习网 yellow ways,
学习啦在线学习网 saffron and gamboge ribbons to the gaze. A little swirl
of dust
学习啦在线学习网 blows up Tilbury road, the wind which fans it has not strength to
do more;
it ceases, and the dust settles down. A little whirl
of wind
comes up Tilbury road. It brings a sound of wheels and
feet.
The wind reels a moment and faints to nothing under the sign-post.
Wind again, wheels and feet louder. Wind again -- again
-- again.
A drop of rain, flat into the dust. Drop! -- Drop! Thick
学习啦在线学习网 heavy raindrops,
学习啦在线学习网 and a shrieking wind bending the great trees and wrenching off their
leaves.
Under the black sky, bowed and dripping with rain,
up Tilbury road,
学习啦在线学习网 comes the procession. A funeral procession, bound for
学习啦在线学习网 the graveyard
学习啦在线学习网 at Wayfleet. Feet and wheels -- feet and wheels. And
学习啦在线学习网 among them
one who is carried.
学习啦在线学习网 The bones in the deep, still earth shiver and pull. There
is a quiver
through the rotted stake. Then stake and bones fall together
in a little puffing of dust.
Like meshes of linked steel the rain shuts down
behind the procession,
学习啦在线学习网 now well along the Wayfleet road.
He wavers like smoke in the buffeting wind. His
学习啦在线学习网 fingers blow out like smoke,
his head ripples in the gale. Under the sign-post, in
学习啦在线学习网 the pouring rain,
he stands, and watches another quavering figure drifting down
the Wayfleet road. Then swiftly he streams after it. It
学习啦在线学习网 flickers
among the trees. He licks out and winds about them. Over,
under,
blown, contorted. Spindrift after spindrift; smoke following
smoke.
There is a wailing through the trees, a wailing of fear,
and after it laughter -- laughter -- laughter, skirling up to the
学习啦在线学习网 black sky.
学习啦在线学习网 Lightning jags over the funeral procession. A heavy clap
of thunder.
学习啦在线学习网 Then darkness and rain, and the sound of feet and wheels.