Silvanus

Tell me. tell me, good Silvanus,
What the fauns are bringing in;
Perhaps it is that we should join them,
And with that the song begin.
Dancing, dancing in the forest,
'Ere the morning stars were made;
Piping, piping comes the music,
Here ye now before it fade.
Were you there in early morning,
'Ere the shining dew was spread?
Were you there when man awakened?
Will you live to see him dead?
Yes, Silvanus, I am coming,
Wait you just a moment here;
I will join you when I'm ready,
There is one I would be near.
Eros daemon has compelled me,
Onward, upward through the sky!
Now I rest, for I am weary;
Let me drink or I will die.
Many things that you can tell me,
Many things I want to know.
You will lead and I will follow,
Take me where I want to go.
We will leave the frozen city,
Take the trail to forest land;
I am sad no one will join us,
Yet tis good you don't command.
Yes, I know it, none can follow,
Save them that desire to go;
You can only point in silence,
And to us your vintage show.
I will sit with you in silence,
Under starry moon-lit sky.
There it shall be in the morning
Fauns will find us where we lie.
They will come with feast and music;
We will dance around a ring:
Then we all shall sit together,
Have a cup of wine and sing!
We will talk of buried treasure,
Elf and daemon, fire and sword.
Then we all shall call together
To the shining heaven-lords.
And perhaps they'll come and join us
Lead us to their hidden land.
There we all will live together,
Nourished by Her loving hand.
Come, Silvanus, we must hurry,
Or we'll miss the feast today!
They only come when they are ready.
When that is, I cannot say.

29 November 1979 (found in a draft of a letter to Barb Black)