DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Renascence, v. 1, issue 1, August 1950

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Renascence, v. 1, issue 1, August 1950

Page 9

QUEST
D. BRUCE BERRY
[Poem printed in two columns]
[first column]
Cast now the die and let as they fall
Call forth the man who claims he can recall
The motion passed by chance and I shall cry,
"There goes a man who will not breathe nor die!"

One day I came forth into yesterday
And with religious zeal for many years did pray
Until a passing cynic said the stars 
Were nothing more than sparkling pinpoint scars.

I took then my possessions on my back
And set my steps upon a weathered track
That many took before me, and before them more
In search of what for man fate has in store.

Not far along the path I met a maid 
And for a while I lingered while we played
A game of fragmentary life until the dawn
Opened its gates of gold and found me gone.

That microscopic passion made me smile
And as I added mile onto mile, 
And new thoughts came to mind to sort and file
Drifted into shade after awhile.

I passed along an ocean's shore one day
And chanced upon a sage who knelt to pray
I paused to ask a question on my mind
"What was the start of all this human kind?"

He smiled at me and told me that 'twas God 
Who first did form and mold this earthly clod
"What was there then before first man was wrought?" 
He shrugged his shoulders and answered "There was
naught."

I pondered this as I once more took my way
And wondered what the sage would have to say
If I had asked the thing that vexed me sore
"If there was naught, then what was there before?"

I sat beside a stream and pondered life;
Considered this many-sided vale of strife
And found that man was made to rise and fall
To dust dissolve and thence beyond recall.

The touchstone of my step led me to war
I took a life and thus did thousands more
And as I rested on the battered earth
Cried out to God "Is this the price of birth?"

I found a harlot's tent atop a knoll
And queried her about her dubious goal
She mockingly replied after a time
"Pleasure or birth; which is the greater crime?"

I thought on this theme as I passed along
And saw that some were weak and some were strong
The weak ones fall and soon are swept aside
By the restless tramping feet of the human tide.

I saw the sea of mankind ebb and flow
With futie dreams their weight attempt to throw
Against the rocks of circumstance and pain
And then recede and hope to try again.

I passed within a valley wide and green
Finding all therein were pale and lean
And asking why none here did even pray
Was sadly told that love had passed this way.

I wondered 'til I realized the mood
Of love can ask no finer drink or food
And one who, having lost love, still can feast
Is not much man but nearer to the beast.

I found atop a distant hill romance
And threw my heart, as humans do, to chance
I lost the throw and stumbled down again
To try in wild contempt to lose the pain.

Upon the plain below I seemed to make
Of all my sorrows a weeping loser lake
Again I point my steps to hills afar 
And carry as a badge my lover's scar.

Aboard a ship bound for exotic lands
I took my badge and held it is my hands
Soon gathered round me passengers and crew
To nod their heads and say "I have one, too."

Soon docks the ship and now and then begins
Some secret tryst the prudish world calls sins
To bring some man a momentary wife
A diamond mounted in a ring of strife.

I rest within a tavern and I drink
To stem the tide of time somewhat and think
And soon my thoughts become a sable blur
Sleep injects an undeniable lure.

Along the path of sleep I travel far
And soon am far beyond the farthest star
Turning round I see them taking form
Of two large eyes benevolent and warm.

Then echoing from the universe did speak
Voice of soft thunder asking what I seek
I raise my arms and clench my hands and cry
"Pray tell, wherein does life's deep reason lie?"

"A cynic tells me wounds make up the stars-
I see a thousand brave die by the sword!
Does birth make life then naught but prison bars?
With all of this travail is there a lord?

I've loved and lost my love and loved again
And seemed to me to reach the final pain
Till in the throng I found this grief I grew 
The whole world knew, and knowing, suffered too!

Is life then but an agony for me?
Then strike me down and let my soul go free!"
Throughout the universe there breathed then sighs
That echoed and repeated in the eyes.

"Little man," the voice then said to me
"You need not end to let your soul go free. 
I tell you now the secret of your life
That you may bear with greater strength its strife.

The cynic then was right up to a way
To say the firmament with scars is grey
His soul was wounded and as wounded see
Sought only things which were as bad as he.

He saw but scars were kindred souls
His eyes did not see where a river rolls
The floods bring terror where the peace has been
But afterward the banks are lush and green.

The riverbank that never overflows
Has never known the beauty of the rose
Will never see the brightness of the day
That follows when the clouds have passed away.

The tide of mankind cannot ever know
The loveliness within the morning glow
Till wintry winds send 'cross the land their blight
And men have journeyed through the darkest night. 
(Continued Next Page)

Saving...

QUEST D. BRUCE BERRY [Poem printed in two columns] [first column] Cast now the die and let as they fall Call forth the man who claims he can recall The motion passed by chance and I shall cry, "There goes a man who will not breathe nor die!" One day I came forth into yesterday And with religious zeal for many years did pray Until a passing cynic said the stars Were nothing more than sparkling pinpoint scars. I took then my possessions on my back And set my steps upon a weathered track That many took before me, and before them more In search of what for man fate has in store. Not far along the path I met a maid And for a while I lingered while we played A game of fragmentary life until the dawn Opened its gates of gold and found me gone. That microscopic passion made me smile And as I added mile onto mile, And new thoughts came to mind to sort and file Drifted into shade after awhile. I passed along an ocean's shore one day And chanced upon a sage who knelt to pray I paused to ask a question on my mind "What was the start of all this human kind?" He smiled at me and told me that 'twas God Who first did form and mold this earthly clod "What was there then before first man was wrought?" He shrugged his shoulders and answered "There was naught." I pondered this as I once more took my way And wondered what the sage would have to say If I had asked the thing that vexed me sore "If there was naught, then what was there before?" I sat beside a stream and pondered life; Considered this many-sided vale of strife And found that man was made to rise and fall To dust dissolve and thence beyond recall. The touchstone of my step led me to war I took a life and thus did thousands more And as I rested on the battered earth Cried out to God "Is this the price of birth?" I found a harlot's tent atop a knoll And queried her about her dubious goal She mockingly replied after a time "Pleasure or birth; which is the greater crime?" I thought on this theme as I passed along And saw that some were weak and some were strong The weak ones fall and soon are swept aside By the restless tramping feet of the human tide. I saw the sea of mankind ebb and flow With futie dreams their weight attempt to throw Against the rocks of circumstance and pain And then recede and hope to try again. I passed within a valley wide and green Finding all therein were pale and lean And asking why none here did even pray Was sadly told that love had passed this way. I wondered 'til I realized the mood Of love can ask no finer drink or food And one who, having lost love, still can feast Is not much man but nearer to the beast. I found atop a distant hill romance And threw my heart, as humans do, to chance I lost the throw and stumbled down again To try in wild contempt to lose the pain. Upon the plain below I seemed to make Of all my sorrows a weeping loser lake Again I point my steps to hills afar And carry as a badge my lover's scar. Aboard a ship bound for exotic lands I took my badge and held it is my hands Soon gathered round me passengers and crew To nod their heads and say "I have one, too." Soon docks the ship and now and then begins Some secret tryst the prudish world calls sins To bring some man a momentary wife A diamond mounted in a ring of strife. I rest within a tavern and I drink To stem the tide of time somewhat and think And soon my thoughts become a sable blur Sleep injects an undeniable lure. Along the path of sleep I travel far And soon am far beyond the farthest star Turning round I see them taking form Of two large eyes benevolent and warm. Then echoing from the universe did speak Voice of soft thunder asking what I seek I raise my arms and clench my hands and cry "Pray tell, wherein does life's deep reason lie?" "A cynic tells me wounds make up the stars- I see a thousand brave die by the sword! Does birth make life then naught but prison bars? With all of this travail is there a lord? I've loved and lost my love and loved again And seemed to me to reach the final pain Till in the throng I found this grief I grew The whole world knew, and knowing, suffered too! Is life then but an agony for me? Then strike me down and let my soul go free!" Throughout the universe there breathed then sighs That echoed and repeated in the eyes. "Little man," the voice then said to me "You need not end to let your soul go free. I tell you now the secret of your life That you may bear with greater strength its strife. The cynic then was right up to a way To say the firmament with scars is grey His soul was wounded and as wounded see Sought only things which were as bad as he. He saw but scars were kindred souls His eyes did not see where a river rolls The floods bring terror where the peace has been But afterward the banks are lush and green. The riverbank that never overflows Has never known the beauty of the rose Will never see the brightness of the day That follows when the clouds have passed away. The tide of mankind cannot ever know The loveliness within the morning glow Till wintry winds send 'cross the land their blight And men have journeyed through the darkest night. (Continued Next Page)