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THE VENTURE, by                    
First Line: The sea-gull sits and shivers
Last Line: And venture utterly.
Subject(s): Faith; Belief; Creed


THE sea-gull sits and shivers
Beside her narrow nest,
Her cloudy pinion quivers,
Her eyes in vain would test
The strength of unsubstantial air,
The truth of the inconstant sea:
Shall she cleave to solid earth,
Hug the cliff that saw her birth,
Or those untempted regions dare,
And venture utterly?

Where eastern stars are gleaming
Above an eastern hill,
A mortal wanders dreaming
And hesitating still
Between the low imperious call—
The soul's instinctive sovereignty—
And all the slavish sense that prays
For common things and trodden ways,
Too cowardly to stake its all
And venture utterly.

The sea-gull flew to claim
Two realms—the sea, the sky,
And Abram's tent became
The angel's hostelry.
Ah then, though God seem vague as breath,
And Creeds inconstant as the sea:
Although thine Isaac be not born
And all thy fellows cry in scorn,
"See where the dreamer hunts the wraith!"
Let instinct lead, spread wings of faith,
And venture utterly.





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