Chapter I

Over the broken world, the dark gone by, Horror of outcast darkness torn with wars; And timeless agony Of the white fire, heaped high by blinded Stars, Unfaltering, unaghast;-- Out of the midmost Fire At last,--at last,-- Cry! ... O darkness' one desire,-- O darkness, have you heard?-- Black Chaos, blindly striving towards the Word? --The Cry!

Behold thy conqueror, Death! Behold, behold from whom It flutters forth, that triumph of First-Breath, Victorious one that can but breathe and cling,-- This pulsing flower,--this weaker than a wing, Halcyon thing!-- Cradled above unfathomable doom.