The Fever Dream

A fever scorched my body, fired my brain;
Like lava in Vesuvius, boiled my blood
Within the glowing caverns of my heart;
I raged with thirst, and begged a cold, clear draught
Of fountain water. 'T was, with tears, denied.
I drank a nauseous febrifuge, and slept,
%But rested not — harassed with horrid dreams
Of burning deserts, and of dusty plains,
Mountains disgorging flames, forests on fire,
Steam, sunshine, smoke, and ever-boiling lakes —
Hills of hot sand, and glowing stones, that seemed
Embers and ashes of a burnt-up world.
Thirst raged within me. I sought the deepest vale,
And called on all the rocks and caves for water; —
I climbed a mountain, and from cliff to cliff,
Pursued a flying cloud, howling for water; —
I crushed the withered herbs, and gnawed dry roots,
Still crying, "Water!" while the cliffs and caves,
In horrid mockery, re-echoed « Water!"
Below the mountain gleamed a city, red
With solar flame, upon the sandy bank
Of a broad river. "Soon, oh soon," I cried,
"I'll cool my burning body in that flood,
And quaff my fill!" I ran; I reached the shore;
The river was dried up; its oozy bed
Was dust; and on its arid rocks I saw
The scaly myriads fry beneath the sun;
Where sank the channel deepest, I beheld
A stirring multitude of human forms,
And heard a faint, wild, lamentable wail.
Thither I sped, and joined the general cry
Of » Water!" They had delved a spacious pit
In search of hidden fountains: sad, sad sight!
I saw them rend the rocks up in their rage,
With mad impatience calling on the earth
To open and yield up her cooling springs,
Meanwhile the skies, on which they dared not gaze,
Stood o'er them like a canopy of brass —
Undimmed by moisture; the red dog-star raged,
And Phoebus from the house of Virgo shot
His scorching shafts. The thirsty multitude
Grew still more frantic. Those who dug the earth
Fell lifeless on the rocks they strained to upheave,
And filled again, with their own carcasses,
The pits they made — undoing their own work.
Despair at length drove out the laborers,
At sight of whom a general groan announced
The death of hope. Ah I now no more was heard
The cry of "Water!" To the city next,
Howling we ran — all hurrying without aim: —
Thence to the woods. The baked plain gaped for moisture,
Andfrom its arid breast heaved smoke, that seemed
Breath of a furnace — fierce, volcanic fire,
Or hot monsoon, that raises Syrian sands
To clouds. Amid the forests we espied
A faint and bleating herd. Suddenly, shrill
And horrid shouts arose of « Blood! blood! blood!"
We fell upon them with a tiger's thirst,
And drank up all the blood that was not human;
We were all dyed in blood. Despair returned;
The cry was hushed; and dumb confusion reigned.
Even then, when hope was dead, and all past hope,
I heard a laugh, and saw a wretched man
Rip madly his own veins, and bleeding drink
With eager joy. The example seized on all;
Each fell upon himself, tearing his veins
Fiercely in search of blood. And some there were,
Who having emptied their own veins, did seize
Their neighbors' arms,and slay them for their blood.
Oh! happy then were mothers who gave suck.
They dashed their little infants from their breasts,
And their shrunk bosoms tortured, to extract
The balmy juice, oh! exquisitely sweet
To their parched tongues! 'T is done! now all is gone!
Blood, water, and the bosom's nectar! — all!
"Rend, oh, ye lightnings! the sealed firmament,
And flood a burning world. Rain! rain! pour! pour!
Open, ye windows of high heaven! and pour
The mighty deluge! Let us drown and drink
Luxurious death! Ye earthquakes split the globe,
The solid, rock-ribbed globe — and lay all bare
Its subterranean rivers and fresh seas!"'
Thus raged the multitude. And many fell
In fierce convulsions; many slew themselves.
And now I saw the city all in flames —
The forest burning — earth itself on fire!
I saw the mountains open with a roar,
Loud as the seven apocalyptic thunders,
And seas of lava rolling headlong down,
Through crackling forests, fierce, and hot as hell —
Down to the plain. I turned to fly — and waked!