Unicorn 2

The Pilgrims Dream

The scorching sun, the walking man worn out by his load,
The empty street, the midday heat, the pilgrim on the road.
He set away upon the day his youth was in the bloom,
But years passed and at the last the road became his doom.
He was alone, he left his home, his enemies and friends.
The magic dream was calling him towards the earth's ends.
The story of his infant days was living in his heart,
The story that changed all his ways when he had grown adult.
It happened once upon a time that he joyously played,
Under the vernal heavens shine upon the garden glade.
As suddenly a crystal light in glint of all its dyes,
Down from the celestial height had spilled before his eyes.
He was astonished and afraid, his mind was in the stir,
And, yet, he felt he should have stayed and watched what would occur.
Condensing slowly in the air the light acquired the form -
The slender figure, glowing hair, the head with spiral horn.
And instantly a voice had come to his observant ear:
"You are my friend, the chosen one, attend and have no fear.
You do not know who I am, but I do know you well,
You are the one among the men I trust my word to tell.
Keep in your heart all I shall say and, please, forget it not,
You may have need upon one day in things you will have heard."
"Look, everything you see around and all that men can hold,
Is just a little grain of sand in greatness of the world.
And also know: all the things you hear, or see, or feel
Mean a lot bigger than it seems and what they mean is real.
Unfortunately many men see nothing of this kind,
And little good they can obtain so far as they are blind.
Therefore some people in your world should always be not far,
The ones who able to behold what all things really are.
Their calling here is to transmit to others what they see,
And that, and I have come for it, is what you, child, should be."
The magic creature had come on, no word more having said,
And he felt as the spiral horn had lightly touched his head.
What followed that was like a dream, like marvellous mirage,
The world had stopped around him as if in sudden flash.
And all the things his eyes could track became convex and bright
As if he saw them in the dark and then came out to light.
He also now could look through them as through the magic glass,
Where pictures of the world of men were slowly floating past:
The cities and the mighty states, the beggars and the kings,
In shine of fame and in disgrace, in battles and in peace.
As suddenly he saw the road, stretched up towards the sun,
And on the road two figures go - Unicorn and Man.
They had been walking side by side and talking as good friends,
And dancing sparkles of sunlight were seen over their heads.
The magic vision fast was gone having plunged into shade,
And he again appeared alone upon the garden glade.
That story he could not forget despite years passed away.
And being older he seemed yet, it was like yesterday.
He learned a lot since then and saw what others could not see,
But one desire born long before, yet, never let him be.
For he believed somewhere the place should be upon the earth
Where his and unicorn's ways one day again might cross.
The more he thought about that the more he wished to quit
And give up everything he had for that marvellous meet.
And once he said good by to all and stepped upon the road,
In hope to quench his thirsting soul and track down what he sought.
The rains and winds had smoothed away the light trace of his feet,
And men it seemed forgot one day that he had ever lived.
Only a certain legend's scrap might have recalled someone,
As man and unicorn went up the road towards the sun.