Poems

Poems

Amy Lowell

The wind has blown a corner of your shawlInto the fountain,Where it floats and driftsAmong the lily-padsLike a tissue of sapphires.But you do not heed it,Your fingers pick at the lichensOn the stone edge of the basin,And your eyes follow the tall cloudsAs they sail over the ilex trees.

The wind has blown a corner of your shawlInto the fountain,Where it floats and driftsAmong the lily-padsLike a tissue of sapphires.But you do not heed it,Your fingers pick at the lichensOn the stone edge of the basin,And your eyes follow the tall cloudsAs they sail over the ilex trees.

The wind has blown a corner of your shawlInto the fountain,Where it floats and driftsAmong the lily-padsLike a tissue of sapphires.But you do not heed it,Your fingers pick at the lichensOn the stone edge of the basin,And your eyes follow the tall cloudsAs they sail over the ilex trees.

The wind has blown a corner of your shawl

Into the fountain,

Where it floats and drifts

Among the lily-pads

Like a tissue of sapphires.

But you do not heed it,

Your fingers pick at the lichens

On the stone edge of the basin,

And your eyes follow the tall clouds

As they sail over the ilex trees.

Anaemic women, stupidly dressed and shodIn squeaky shoes, thump down the nave to laud an expurgated God.Bunches of lights reflect upon the pavement whereThe twenty benches stop, and through the close, smelled-over airGaunt arches push up their whited cones,And cover the sparse worshipers with dead men’s stones.Behind his shambling choristers, with flattened feetAnd red-flapped hood, the Bishop walks, completeIn old, frayed ceremonial. The organ wheezesA moldy psalm-tune, and a verger sneezes.But the great Cathedral spears into the skyShouting for joy.What is the red-flapped Bishop praying for, by the bye?

Anaemic women, stupidly dressed and shodIn squeaky shoes, thump down the nave to laud an expurgated God.Bunches of lights reflect upon the pavement whereThe twenty benches stop, and through the close, smelled-over airGaunt arches push up their whited cones,And cover the sparse worshipers with dead men’s stones.Behind his shambling choristers, with flattened feetAnd red-flapped hood, the Bishop walks, completeIn old, frayed ceremonial. The organ wheezesA moldy psalm-tune, and a verger sneezes.But the great Cathedral spears into the skyShouting for joy.What is the red-flapped Bishop praying for, by the bye?

Anaemic women, stupidly dressed and shodIn squeaky shoes, thump down the nave to laud an expurgated God.Bunches of lights reflect upon the pavement whereThe twenty benches stop, and through the close, smelled-over airGaunt arches push up their whited cones,And cover the sparse worshipers with dead men’s stones.Behind his shambling choristers, with flattened feetAnd red-flapped hood, the Bishop walks, completeIn old, frayed ceremonial. The organ wheezesA moldy psalm-tune, and a verger sneezes.

Anaemic women, stupidly dressed and shod

In squeaky shoes, thump down the nave to laud an expurgated God.

Bunches of lights reflect upon the pavement where

The twenty benches stop, and through the close, smelled-over air

Gaunt arches push up their whited cones,

And cover the sparse worshipers with dead men’s stones.

Behind his shambling choristers, with flattened feet

And red-flapped hood, the Bishop walks, complete

In old, frayed ceremonial. The organ wheezes

A moldy psalm-tune, and a verger sneezes.

But the great Cathedral spears into the skyShouting for joy.

But the great Cathedral spears into the sky

Shouting for joy.

What is the red-flapped Bishop praying for, by the bye?

What is the red-flapped Bishop praying for, by the bye?


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