Crystal Moment
by Robert Peter Tristram Coffin, 1892-1955
Once or twice this side of
death
Things can make one hold his breath.
From my boyhood I remember
A crystal moment of September.
A wooded island rang with
sounds
Of church bells in the throats of hounds.
A buck leaped out and took
the tide
With jewels flowing past each side.
With his head high like a
tree
He swam within a yard of me.
I saw the golden drop of
light
In his eyes turned dark with fright.
I saw the forest's holiness
On him like a fierce caress.
Fear made him lovely past
belief,
My heart was trembling like a lead.
He leans towards the land
and life
With need above him like a knife.
In his wake the hot hounds
churned
They stretched their muzzles out and yearned.
They bayed no more, but swam
and throbbed
Hunger drove them till they sobbed.
Pursued, pursuers reached
the shore
And vanished. I saw nothing more.
So they passed, a pageant
such
As only gods could witness much,
Life and death upon one tether
And running beautiful together.
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