For a Child
 
His mind has neither need nor power to know
   The foolish things that men call right and wrong.
For him the streams of pleasant love-wind flow,
   For him the mystic, sleep-compelling song.
Through love he rules his love-made universe,
   And sees with eyes by ignorance made keen
The fauns and elves whom older eyes disperse,
   Great Pan and all the fairies with their queen.
King gods, I pray, bestow on him this dole,
   Not wisdom, wealth, nor mighty deeds to do,
But let him keep his happy pagan soul,
   The poet-vision, simple, free and true,
To hunt the rainbow-gold and phantom lights,
And meet with dryads on the wooded heights.


Webpage © 2001 ELC
Lane Core Jr. (lane@elcore.net)
http://poetry.elcore.net/CatholicPoets/KilmerJ/KilmerJ81.html
Created April 5, 2001; not revised.