Behold, from the land of the farther suns

Behold, from the land of the farther suns  (1905)  by Stephen Crane

This poem was published in 1905 in the volume The Black Rider & Other Lines.

Behold, from the land of the farther suns
I returned.
And I was in a reptile-swarming place,
Peopled, otherwise, with grimaces,
Shrouded above in black impenetrableness.
I shrank, loathing,
Sick with it.
And I said to him,
"What is this?"
He made answer slowly,
"Spirit, this is a world;
This was your home."

This work published before January 1, 1923 is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.