How calm, how beauteous and how cool-- br How like a sister to the skies, br Appears the broad, transparent pool br That in this quiet forest lies. br The sunshine ripples on its face, br And from the world around, above, br It hath caught down the nameless grace br Of such reflections as we love. br br But deep below its surface crawl br The reptile horrors of the night-- br The dragons, lizards, serpents--all br The hideous brood that hate the light; br Through poison fern and slimy weed br And under ragged, jagged stones br They scuttle, or, in ghoulish greed, br They lap a dead man's bleaching bones. br br And as, O pool, thou dost cajole br With seemings that beguile us well, br So doeth many a human soul br That teemeth with the lusts of hell.