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The Wild Knight and Other Poems
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I see my life behind me: bad enough —
Drink, duels, madness, beggary, and pride,
The life of the unfit: yet ere I drop
On Nature's rubbish heap, I weigh it all,
And give you all a toast —
[Reels to his feet and stands.]
The health of God!
[They all recoil from him.]
Let's give the Devil of the Heavens His due!
He that made grass so green, and wine so red,
Is not so black as you have painted him.
[Drinks.]
PRIEST
Blaspheming profligate!
REDFEATHER [hurls the flagon among them.]
Howl! ye dumb dogs,
I named your King – let me have one great shout,
Flutter the seraphim like startled birds;
Make God recall the good days of His youth
Ere saints had saddened Him: when He came back
Conqueror of Chaos in a six days' war,
With all the sons of God shouting for joy …
PRIEST
And you – what is your right, and who are you,
To praise God?
REDFEATHER
A lost soul. In earth or heaven
What has a better right?
PRIEST
Go, pagan, go!
Drink, dice, and dance: take no more thought than blind
Beasts of the field…
REDFEATHER
Or … lilies of the field,
To quote a pagan sage. I go my way.
PRIEST [solemnly].
And when Death comes…
REDFEATHER
He shall not find me dead.
[Puts on his plumed hat. The priests go out.]
REDFEATHER
These frozen fools…
[The Lady Olive comes out of the chapel. He sees her.]
Oh, they were right enough.
Where shall I hide my carrion from the sun?
[Buries his face. His hat drops to the ground.]
OLIVE [looking up.]
Captain, are you from church? I saw you not.
REDFEATHER
No, I am here.
[Lays his hand on a gargoyle.]
I, too, am a grotesque,
And dance with all the devils on the roof.
OLIVE [with a strange smile.]
For Satan, also, I have often prayed.
REDFEATHER [roughly].
Satan may worry women if he will,
For he was but an angel ere he fell,
But I – before I fell – I was a man.
OLIVE
He too, my Master, was a man: too strong
Drink, duels, madness, beggary, and pride,
The life of the unfit: yet ere I drop
On Nature's rubbish heap, I weigh it all,
And give you all a toast —
[Reels to his feet and stands.]
The health of God!
[They all recoil from him.]
Let's give the Devil of the Heavens His due!
He that made grass so green, and wine so red,
Is not so black as you have painted him.
[Drinks.]
PRIEST
Blaspheming profligate!
REDFEATHER [hurls the flagon among them.]
Howl! ye dumb dogs,
I named your King – let me have one great shout,
Flutter the seraphim like startled birds;
Make God recall the good days of His youth
Ere saints had saddened Him: when He came back
Conqueror of Chaos in a six days' war,
With all the sons of God shouting for joy …
PRIEST
And you – what is your right, and who are you,
To praise God?
REDFEATHER
A lost soul. In earth or heaven
What has a better right?
PRIEST
Go, pagan, go!
Drink, dice, and dance: take no more thought than blind
Beasts of the field…
REDFEATHER
Or … lilies of the field,
To quote a pagan sage. I go my way.
PRIEST [solemnly].
And when Death comes…
REDFEATHER
He shall not find me dead.
[Puts on his plumed hat. The priests go out.]
REDFEATHER
These frozen fools…
[The Lady Olive comes out of the chapel. He sees her.]
Oh, they were right enough.
Where shall I hide my carrion from the sun?
[Buries his face. His hat drops to the ground.]
OLIVE [looking up.]
Captain, are you from church? I saw you not.
REDFEATHER
No, I am here.
[Lays his hand on a gargoyle.]
I, too, am a grotesque,
And dance with all the devils on the roof.
OLIVE [with a strange smile.]
For Satan, also, I have often prayed.
REDFEATHER [roughly].
Satan may worry women if he will,
For he was but an angel ere he fell,
But I – before I fell – I was a man.
OLIVE
He too, my Master, was a man: too strong
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