Poems 1908-1911
Sonnet: "Oh Death will find me long before I tire"
Sonnet: "I said I splendidly loved you; it's not true
Success
Dust
Kindliness
Mummia
The Fish
Thoughts on the Shape of the Human Body
Flight
The Hill
The One Before the Last
The Jolly Company
The Life Beyond
Lines Written in the Belief That the Ancient Roman Festival of the Dead Was Called Ambarvalia
Dead Men's Love
Town and Country
Paralysis
Menelaus and Helen
Lust
Jealousy
Blue Evening
The Charm
Finding
Song
The Voice
Dining-Room Tea
The Goddess in the Wood
A Channel Passage
Victory
Day and Night
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Jealousy
When I see you, who were so wise and cool,
Gazing with silly sickness on that fool
You've given your love to, your adoring hands
Touch his so intimately that each understands,
I know, most hidden things; and when I know
Your holiest dreams yield to the stupid bow
Of his red lips, and that the empty grace
Of those strong legs and arms, that rosy face,
Has beaten your heart to such a flame of love,
That you have given him every touch and move,
Wrinkle and secret of you, all your life,
-- Oh! then I know I'm waiting, lover-wife,
For the great time when love is at a close,
And all its fruit's to watch the thickening nose
And sweaty neck and dulling face and eye,
That are yours, and you, most surely, till you die!
Day after day you'll sit with him and note
The greasier tie, the dingy wrinkling coat;
As prettiness turns to pomp, and strength to fat,
And love, love, love to habit!
And
after that,
When all that's fine in man is at an end,
And you, that loved young life and clean, must tend
A foul sick fumbling dribbling body and old,
When his rare lips hang flabby and can't hold
Slobber, and you're enduring that worst thing,
Senility's queasy furtive love-making,
And searching those dear eyes for human meaning,
Propping the bald and helpless head, and cleaning
A scrap that life's flung by, and love's forgotten, --
Then you'll be tired; and passion dead and rotten;
And he'll be dirty, dirty!
O
lithe and free
And lightfoot, that the poor heart cries to see,
That's how I'll see your man and you! --
But
you
-- Oh, when that time comes, you'll be dirty too!
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