Upon the barren earth and upon the stagnant sea
And over rivers running red with ageless misery,
And all amongst the ruined trees
And in the poison storm
The dancing god breathes new green life into a new green form.
The final breath of every man is swallowed up in leaf and bud –
Lords; ladies; heroes; fools – their guilt and shame returned to mud
And out upon a new green day, with dancing feet and brightening eyes
The laughing god surveys the scene –
Set with silence and with sighs –
And makes his promise to the dawn,
His words so fresh, the earth so pure,
The seed of hope lies dormant yet…
Just as so many years before