This dead of midnight is the noon of thought,
And Wisdom mounts her zenith with the stars.
At this still hour the self-collected soul
Turns inward, and beholds a stranger there
Of high descent, and more than mortal rank;
An embryo God; a spark of fire divine.
Bio: Lieutenant Colonel John Masters was a British officer of the Indian Army and later a novelist. His works are noted for their treatment of the British Empire in India.
