I know that He exists. 1
Somewhere－in Silence－
He has hid his rare life
From our gross eyes.
'Tis an instant's play. 5
'Tis a fond Ambush－
Just to make Bliss
Earn her own surprise!
But－should the play 9
Prove piercing earnest－
Should the glee－glaze－
In Death's－stiff－stare－
Would not the fun 13
Look too expensive!
Would not the jest－
Have crawled too far!
Somewhere－in Silence－
He has hid his rare life
From our gross eyes.
'Tis an instant's play. 5
'Tis a fond Ambush－
Just to make Bliss
Earn her own surprise!
But－should the play 9
Prove piercing earnest－
Should the glee－glaze－
In Death's－stiff－stare－
Would not the fun 13
Look too expensive!
Would not the jest－
Have crawled too far!
(F.365/J.338)
[1] I, He:: two players in a game.
[3] hid:: a hint on hide-and-seek. rare:: hard to find.
[5] instant's play:: a fast response game.
[10] piercing earnest:: serious intention in penetrating observation.
[12] Death:: failure in a game.
Harry-racket, or Hide and Seek, called also Hoop and Hide; where one party of the boys remain at a station called their home, while the others go out and hide themselves; when they are hid one of them cries hoop, as a signal for those at home to seek after them. If they who are hidden can escape the vigilance of the seekers and get home uncaught, they go out to hide again; but so many of them as are caught, on the contrary, become seekers, and those who caught them have the privilege of hiding themselves. ─ The Sports and Pastimes of the People of England (1845)