POSTLUDE
Now that I have cooled to youLet there be gold of tarnished masonry,Temples soothed by the sun to ruinThat sleep utterly.Give me hand for the dances,Ripples at Philæ, in and out,And lips, my Lesbian,Wall flowers that once were flame.Your hair is my CarthageAnd my arms the bowAnd our words arrowsTo shoot the stars,Who from that misty seaSwarm to destroy us.But you’re there beside meOh, how shall I defy youWho wound me in the nightWith breasts shiningLike Venus and like Mars?The night that is shouting JasonWhen the loud eaves rattleAs with waves above meBlue at the prow of my desire!O prayers in the dark!O incense to Poseidon!Calm in Atlantis.William Carlos Williams
Now that I have cooled to youLet there be gold of tarnished masonry,Temples soothed by the sun to ruinThat sleep utterly.Give me hand for the dances,Ripples at Philæ, in and out,And lips, my Lesbian,Wall flowers that once were flame.Your hair is my CarthageAnd my arms the bowAnd our words arrowsTo shoot the stars,Who from that misty seaSwarm to destroy us.But you’re there beside meOh, how shall I defy youWho wound me in the nightWith breasts shiningLike Venus and like Mars?The night that is shouting JasonWhen the loud eaves rattleAs with waves above meBlue at the prow of my desire!O prayers in the dark!O incense to Poseidon!Calm in Atlantis.William Carlos Williams
Now that I have cooled to youLet there be gold of tarnished masonry,Temples soothed by the sun to ruinThat sleep utterly.Give me hand for the dances,Ripples at Philæ, in and out,And lips, my Lesbian,Wall flowers that once were flame.
Now that I have cooled to you
Let there be gold of tarnished masonry,
Temples soothed by the sun to ruin
That sleep utterly.
Give me hand for the dances,
Ripples at Philæ, in and out,
And lips, my Lesbian,
Wall flowers that once were flame.
Your hair is my CarthageAnd my arms the bowAnd our words arrowsTo shoot the stars,Who from that misty seaSwarm to destroy us.But you’re there beside meOh, how shall I defy youWho wound me in the nightWith breasts shiningLike Venus and like Mars?The night that is shouting JasonWhen the loud eaves rattleAs with waves above meBlue at the prow of my desire!O prayers in the dark!O incense to Poseidon!Calm in Atlantis.
Your hair is my Carthage
And my arms the bow
And our words arrows
To shoot the stars,
Who from that misty sea
Swarm to destroy us.
But you’re there beside me
Oh, how shall I defy you
Who wound me in the night
With breasts shining
Like Venus and like Mars?
The night that is shouting Jason
When the loud eaves rattle
As with waves above me
Blue at the prow of my desire!
O prayers in the dark!
O incense to Poseidon!
Calm in Atlantis.
William Carlos Williams
William Carlos Williams