One Circle More
[A fragmentary poem composed at Ridgely Manor, in 1899]
Swamiji wrote the poem "One Circle More" on Ridgely Manor stationery. The original was sent to Swami Prabhavananda by Frances H. Leggett in 1962 It would appear that the three lines Swamiji wrote on the left-hand side of the sheet, which was actually the back of the folded letter paper constituted his final version of the first verse.
One circle more the spiral path of life ascends
And time's restless shuttle — running back and fro
Through maze of warp and woof
of shining
threads of life — spins out a stronger piece.
(Cf. a slightly different version of the first three lines of this poem which appeared in Swami Vivekananda’s own handwriting on the left-hand side of the folded letter paper containing the original draft (Vide the facsimile):
One circle more the spiral path of life ascends
And Time's restless shuttle running
back and fro
through maze of warp and woof spins out a
stronger piece.)
Hand in hand they stand — and try to
fathom depths whence
springs eternal love, each in other's eyes;
And find
No hold o'er that age but brings the youth anew —
And time — the good, the pure, the true.
Another version of the peom is shown below. Again the lines break differently. It has been suggested that the poem may have been written with the Swami's hosts Mr and Mrs. Francis Leggett in mind.
One circle more the spiral path of life ascends,
And Time's restless shuttle--running back and fro
Through maze of warp and woof-- Spins out a stronger piece.
Hand in hand they stand--and try
To fathom depths whence springs eternal love,
Each in other's eyes,
And find no power holds over that age
But brings the youth anew to them,
And time--the good, the pure, the true.
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- www.vivekananda.net edited by Frank Parlato Jr.
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