One brought her Fire from a distant place,
And She—what should she know of it?—
She took His offering with the same untroubled look
Of peace upon her face.
‘And I have brought it of my best,’ quoth he,
‘By barren deserts and a frozen land.
What recompense?’ She could not understand,
But let the bright light be.
‘A kindly gift,’ the answer broke at length,
‘A kindly gift. We thank you. What is this
That fiercer than all household fire is,
And gathereth in strength?
Strange fires? Take them hence with you, O sir!
Presage of coming woe we dimly feel.’
Sudden She crushed the embers ’neath her heel,—
And all light went with Her.
This poem is in the public domain. Published in Poem-a-Day on November 15, 2026, by the Academy of American Poets.
