Near the goodness lies,
Heralded by the prophets,
As promised by the Gods.
But to find it, Man must
Dirty his hands, digging
In the mud to reveal the
Snow-pearls of Heaven.
That is the sentence of the Gods.
For Man was cast out of Eden;
The Heaven was cast with him.
Thus near is the Heaven; still,
Nearer is Hell, the black earth,
Under our feet; it is shaped by
The innumerable steps of Man,
The blood and sweat and tears.
That is the sentence of the Gods.
Shall we, then, rebuild Babel
And glorify the scarlet whore?
Shall we turn to the crown of
Parnassus, the voice of Delphi?
Oh, woe! Babylon lies in ruin,
The mouth of Providence shut;
The holy halls hollow-voiced.
That is the sentence of the Gods.
However, nearer is Heaven than
Man believes; though the olden
Gods’ words remain unintelligible
To Him, Man’s inner world speaks
Aloud the psalms of ages, the holy
Sentence of Gods: “I am that I am”;
So shall we re-enter Garden of Life.
That is the sentence of the Gods.