The blacksmith's boy went out with a rifle
and a black dog running behind.
Cobwebs snatched at his feet,
rivers hindered him,
thorn branches caught at his eyes to make him blind
and the sky turned into an unlucky opal,
but he didn't mind.
I can break branches, I can swim rivers, I can stare out
any spider I meet,
said he to his dog and his rifle.
The blacksmith's boy went over the paddocks
with his old black hat on his head.
Mountains jumped in his way,
rocks rolled down on him,
and the old crow cried, You'll soon be dead.
And the rain came down like mattocks.
But he only said,
I can climb mountains, I can dodge rocks, I can shoot an old crow any day,
and he went on over the paddocks.
When he came to the end of the day, the sun began falling,
Up came the night ready to swallow him,
like the barrel of a gun,
like an old black hat,
like a black dog hungry to follow him.
Then the pigeon, the magpie and the dove began wailing
and the grass lay down to pillow him.
His rifle broke, his hat blew away and his dog was gone and the sun was falling.
But in front of the night, the rainbow stood on the mountain,
just as his heart foretold.
He ran like a hare,
he climbed like a fox;
he caught it in his hands, the colours and the cold -
like a bar of ice, like the column of a fountain,
like a ring of gold.
The pigeon, the magpie and the dove flew up to stare,
and the grass stood up again on the mountain.
The blacksmith's boy hung the rainbow on his shoulder
instead of his broken gun.
Lizards ran out to see, snakes made way for him,
and the rainbow shone as brightly as the sun.
All the world said, Nobody is braver, nobody is bolder,
nobody else has done
anything equal to it. He went home as easy as could be
with the swinging rainbow on his shoulder.
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Comments
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The title of this poem tells us what it is - a Legend, a myth Line 6 is the line that makes me think that things are going to be very difficult for the self-confident boy; all nature is in league against him.
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From guest michael (contact)
this is a great poem, it tells about a boy who loses his way but he keeps soldiering on and finally he gets back on his feet. -
this poem is up lifting. it expresses a boys journey and fears that he overcomes with the right attitude. i think you can interprate this poem in whatever way, but be sure to know that the blacksmiths boy has come out of it better off.
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'Legend' was written approx. 1949 and appeared in anthology 'The Gateway' published in 1953.
'Two Faces' I am unable to locate, However Christmas Ballad was published in 'Shadow' in 1970 and remains under copyright.'The Maker' will be added to this site in the near future.
~Von~
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