The Wind in the Hemlock

The Wind in the Hemlock

 

Steely stars and moon of brass,

How mockingly you watch me pass!

You know as well as I how soon

I shall be blind to stars and moon,

Deaf to the wind in the hemlock tree,

Dumb when the brown earth weighs on me.

 

With envious dark rage I bear,

Stars, your cold complacent stare;

Heart-broken in my hate look up,

Moon, at your clear immortal cup,

Changing to gold from dusky red --

Age after age when I am dead

To be filled up with light, and then

Emptied, to be refilled again.

 

What has man done that only he

Is slave to death -- so brutally

Beaten back into the earth

Impatient for him since his birth?

 

Oh let me shut my eyes, close out

The sight of stars and earth and be

Sheltered a minute by this tree.

Hemlock, through your fragrant boughs

There moves no anger and no doubt,

No envy of immortal things.

The night-wind murmurs of the sea

With veiled music ceaselessly,

That to my shaken spirit sings.

From their frail nest the robins rouse,

In your pungent darkness stirred,

Twittering a low drowsy word --

And me you shelter, even me.

In your quietness you house

The wind, the woman and the bird.

You speak to me and I have heard:

 

If I am peaceful, I shall see

Beauty's face continually;

Feeding on her wine and bread

I shall be wholly comforted,

For she can make one day for me

Rich as my lost eternity.

--Sara Teasdale

 

Comments

[Ruth]

That is beautiful. Thank you.

[Norma]

Oh, that is a wonderful choice. Thank you.

[christine]

Beautiful - thanks. Thought-provoking for this Friday morning.......

[Martha]

Boy, talk about not going gentle into that good night! I'm glad the hemlock managed to work with her on her anger issues :)

[Beth S.]

Magnificent. And not unrelated to my poem, actually.

[Bookish Wendy]

Do you realize that your Weather Pixie is over there wearing a half shirt?! You better watch that girl...you've explained the birds and the bees to her, right? ;)

[Teresa C]

My favorite so far, thank you.

[adelaide]

Imagine my surprise! I thought I was the only person left on earth who reads Sara Teasdale, and now you are the second person to use one of her poems for the Silent Poetry Reading. You've made my day! Go Sara!