I stood musing in a black world, <br />Not knowing where to direct my feet. <br />And I saw the quick stream of men <br />Pouring ceaselessly, <br />Filled with eager faces, <br />A torrent of desire. <br />I called to them, <br />"Where do you go? What do you see?" <br />A thousand voices called to me. <br />A thousand fingers pointed. <br />"Look! look! There!" <br /> <br />I know not of it. <br />But, lo! In the far sky shone a radiance <br />Ineffable, divine -- <br />A vision painted upon a pall; <br />And sometimes it was, <br />And sometimes it was not. <br />I hesitated. <br />Then from the stream <br />Came roaring voices, <br />Impatient: <br />"Look! look! There!" <br /> <br />So again I saw, <br />And leaped, unhesitant, <br />And struggled and fumed <br />With outspread clutching fingers. <br />The hard hills tore my flesh; <br />The ways bit my feet. <br />At last I looked again. <br />No radiance in the far sky, <br />Ineffable, divine; <br />No vision painted upon a pall; <br />And always my eyes ached for the light. <br />Then I cried in despair, <br />"I see nothing! Oh, where do I go?" <br />The torrent turned again its faces: <br />"Look! look! There!" <br /> <br />And at the blindness of my spirit <br />They screamed, <br />"Fool! fool! fool!"<br /><br />Stephen Crane<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/i-stood-musing-in-a-black-world-2/
