Summary

The poem is a reflective piece exploring themes of spiritual longing and the search for deeper meaning. The speaker envisions a group of historical figures, possibly wise figures or magi, dressed in stiff, painted clothes. These figures, with ancient faces reminiscent of weathered stones, come and go against the vastness of the sky. They wear silver helmets and gaze intently, driven by an unfulfilled desire to rediscover a profound, elusive mystery they encountered at the turbulent event of Calvary. Despite their eternal quest, they have not found complete satisfaction or understanding, suggesting the unending human search for answers to spiritual and existential questions.

Listen to audio


Read Online

Now as at all times I can see in the mind’s eye,
In their stiff, painted clothes, the pale unsatisfied ones
Appear and disappear in the blue depths of the sky
With all their ancient faces like rain-beaten stones,
And all their helms of silver hovering side by side,
And all their eyes still fixed, hoping to find once more,
Being by Calvary’s turbulence unsatisfied,
The uncontrollable mystery on the bestial floor.