Friday, October 11, 2019

The Traveller

This poem from Clark Ashton Smith (CAS) was unpublished in his lifetime, and is not available on The Eldritch Dark, so here's the complete text:


O traveller, declare thy quest!
Thy hair is white with alien days
Thy dusty feet and face attest
The devious length of alien ways
O traveller declare thy quest!

"It is to seek mine ancient home--
My home that lies I know not where--
Restless forever I must roam
And find the horizons of despair
But nevermore my home."


This poem has echoes of the myth of the Wandering Jew, although (not surprisingly) CAS does not incorporate any specific references to the Christian aspect of the myth.  It's a simple poem, and perhaps I'm not surprised that CAS chose not to publish it, but as with all of his verse, it is solid enough to make for pleasurable reading.

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