Because God put His adamantine fate
Between my sullen heart and its desire,
I swore that I would burst
the Iron Gate,
Rise up, and curse Him on His throne of fire.
Earth shuddered at my crown of blasphemy,
But
Love was as a flame about my feet;
Proud up the Golden Stair I strode; and beat
Thrice on the Gate, and
entered with a cry --
All the great courts were quiet in the sun,
And full of vacant echoes: moss had grown
Over the glassy
pavement, and begun
To creep within the dusty council-halls.
An idle wind blew round an empty throne
And
stirred the heavy curtains on the walls.