POEMS OF REFLECTION
EXPERIMENTS IN VERS LIBRE
I
Not curled into rose leaves
Or twisted into fantastic patterns of beauty ...
Out of my joy in the Earth,
Out of my sorrow for men,
Out of the love which I bore to one and another
Come these rough nuggets.
Take them—they are all I can give you!
Take, and make of them whatsoever you will,
You who have skill,
And you also who have none.
Hold them in sunlight and moonlight
Till they shine back,
Ponder also the dark Earth wherefrom they came!
II
He who lies dead was my father.
Degradation has befallen his flesh.
Why? O, why?
The palace is fouled.
The king insulted, crucified, and abandoned.
The slaves have fled.
And so, after certain days, you
And I too shall lie.
The pride
Shall pass.
Our mouths shall never kiss
Nor our strong arms embrace ...
We too, we too shall die.
III
Lust spoils the sunlight
And narrows the day;
Love widens
Time to Eternity which alone can hold it!