A Woman, And Some Men.

Once in a dream of Babylon         I sat with Lilith and Cain     At the world-old drama, "From God to God,"         In the House of Things Profane;     Trumpets and lights, and the players         Swung to the stage, and then     I saw as I looked in their faces         A woman, and some men.     Men with the eyes of the psalmist,         Men with the hearts of Saul,     Strong with the wine of valor,         But faint with the woman's thrall;     Calm were her eyes as she held them         Charmed to her soulless sway,     For she had the face of the Magdalene,         And the heart of Aholiba.     Wine and kisses and gusty words,         Kisses and wine again,     And her lips and brow were red with stains         From the hairy mouths of men,     Red as the stain on the brow of Cain         That burned with his Maker's hate,     Or the lips of the witch that Adam loved         Ere God revealed his mate.     Trumpets and lights and the players         Swung from the stage, and then     The curtain fell on the drama         Of a woman and some men;     While cleaving the dome of the temple         Fell the Avenger's rod,     And lo! when I looked again I saw         We were face to face with God.     And Lilith, the witch, dropped down and prayed         That her child a soul might have,     And the blood red stain on the brow of Cain         Be wiped out in the grave;     And this was my dream of Babylon         When I sat with Lilith and Cain     At the world-old drama, "From God to God,"         In the House of Things Profane.