Master Key WEEK 11 – BEFORE IT IS THROWN INTO THE FIRE

LINE BY LINE, RHYMED

AN INTERPRETATION

of

“COMPENSATION”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The wings of Time are black and white,

The hands are dark, the face is light,

Pied with morning and with night.

Each tic we see, each toc, no sight.

Mountain tall and ocean deep

Each day we climb, to rest we sleep.

Trembling balance duly keep,

Correctly sown, good crops we reap.

In changing moon, in tidal wave,

Footsteps count the coming grave.

Glows the feud of Want and Have.

For this infection, there is no salve.

Gauge of more and less through space

The effects it has we can’t erase,

Electric star and pencil plays,

Near or far, it has its ways.

The lonely Earth amid the balls

To the sun allegiance falls

That hurry through the eternal halls,

In outer space, duty calls,

A makeweight flying to the void,

As Natural Law employed,

Supplemental asteroid,

Upon this planet we’ve all enjoyed!

Or compensatory spark,

Electric ways we’ve left our mark,

Shoots across the neutral Dark,

Before our time to disembark.

Man’s the elm, and Wealth the vine;

Your trunk is huge, as is mine;

Stanch and strong the tendrils twine:

With attractive power that is divine:

Though the frail ringlets thee deceive,

No cause for woes or ever grieve,

None from its stock that vine can reave.

So sure the lock, when thee believe.

Fear not, then, thou child infirm,

What’s inside stops every germ,

There’s no god dare wrong a worm.

All life deserves its given term.

Laurel crowns cleave to deserts,

If with him too much perverts,

And power to him who power exerts;

For more brings more, each act asserts;

Hast not thy share? On winged feet,

That Angels brought, when called to greet,

Lo! it rushes thee to meet;

To hand you such a luscious treat;

And all that Nature made thy own,

As if were made for you alone,

Floating in air or pent in stone,

Harmony in every tone,

Will rive the hills and swim the sea,

As for you, it came to me,

And, like thy shadow, follow thee.

With love and peace your destiny.