The saintly hermit, midway through his prayers <br />stopped suddenly, and raised his eyes to witness <br />the unbelievable: for there before him stood <br />the legendary creature, startling white, that <br />had approached, soundlessly, pleading with his eyes. <br /> <br />The legs, so delicately shaped, balanced a <br />body wrought of finest ivory. And as <br />he moved, his coat shone like reflected moonlight. <br />High on his forehead rose the magic horn, the sign <br />of his uniqueness: a tower held upright <br />by his alert, yet gentle, timid gait. <br /> <br />The mouth of softest tints of rose and grey, when <br />opened slightly, revealed his gleaming teeth, <br />whiter than snow. The nostrils quivered faintly: <br />he sought to quench his thirst, to rest and find repose. <br />His eyes looked far beyond the saint's enclosure, <br />reflecting vistas and events long vanished, <br />and closed the circle of this ancient mystic legend.<br /><br />Rainer Maria Rilke<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-unicorn/
