There
sat two glasses filled to the brim
On
a rich man's table, rim to rim,
One
was ruddy and red as blood,
And
one was clear as the crystal flood.
Said
the Glass of Wine to his paler brother:
"Let
us tell tales of the past to each other;
I
can tell of banquet and revel and mirth,
Where
I was king, for I ruled in might;
For
the proudest and grandest souls of earth
Fell
under my touch, as though struck with blight.
From
the heads of kings I have torn the crown;
From
the heights of fame I have hurled men down.
I
have blasted many an honored name;
I
have taken virtue and given shame;
I
have tempted youth with a sip, a taste,
That
has made his future a barren waste.
Far
greater than any king am I,
Or
than any army beneath the sky.
I
have made the arm of the driver fail,
And
sent the train from the iron rail.
I
have made good ships go down at sea.
And
the shrieks of the lost were sweet to me.
And
my might and power are over all!
Ho,
ho, pale brother," said the Wine,
"Can
you boast of deeds as great as mine?"
Said
the Water Glass: "I cannot boast
Of
a king dethroned, or a murdered host;
But
I can tell of hearts that were sad,
By
my crystal drops made bright and glad;
Of
thirsts I have quenched and brows I have laved,
Of
hands I have cooled, and souls I have saved.
I
have leaped through the valley, dashed down the mountain,
Slipped
from the sunshine, and dripped from the fountain,
I
have burst my cloud-fetters, and dropped from the sky,
And
everywhere gladdened the prospect and eye;
I
have eased the hot forehead of fever and pain,
I
have made the parched meadows grow fertile with grain.
I
can tell of the powerful wheel of the mill,
That
ground out the flour, and turned at my will.
I
can tell of manhood debased by you
That
I have uplifted and crowned anew;
I
cheer, I help, I strengthen and aid,
I
gladden the heart of man and maid;
I
set the wine-chained captive free,
And
all are better for knowing me."
These
are the tales they told each other,
The
Glass of Wine, and its paler brother,
As
they sat together, filled to the brim,
On
a rich man's table, rim to rim.
by Ella
Wheeler Wilcox
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