the night has a thousand eyes

©Alex Nino - from Satan's Tears, the Art of Alex Nino

The new Zelazny compilation has been rather revelatory. I am two thirds through the first book and have just dove in to the first perfect tale, the award winning He who shapes. It takes a while for people to find their way artistically and for a writer to discover his or her voice. Very few human beings sprout forth fully formed, the exception being the occasional Mozart or Rimbaud. I didn't realize how involved Roger was with poetry early on and it definitely colored his prose and enriched his language base. Much of his own poetry was produced for an early collection that was never published called Chisel in the sky. He was a huge lover of Dante and Hart Crane, Yeats and Homer. I found one error in the book and plan to write the publisher if I can find time. Anyway I also came across this poem in one of his stories that I rather liked, from the British poet Francis W. Bourdillon (1852-1921). It is titled The Night has a Thousand Eyes.

The night has a thousand eyes,
and the day but one;
Yet the light of the bright world dies
with the dying sun
The mind has a thousand eyes,
and the heart but one;
Yet the light of a whole life dies
when love is done.