February 02, 2009

Annual Bloggers (silent) Poetry Reading

Photo ~Arnold Genthe


Journey

by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Ah, could I lay me down in this long grass

And close my eyes, and let the quiet wind

Blow over me—I am so tired, so tired

Of passing pleasant places! All my life,

Following Care along the dusty road,

Have I looked back at loveliness and sighed;

Yet at my hand an unrelenting hand

Tugged ever, and I passed. All my life long

Over my shoulder have I looked at peace;

And now I fain would lie in this long grass

And close my eyes.

Yet onward!

Cat birds call

Through the long afternoon, and creeks at dusk

Are guttural. Whip-poor-wills wake and cry,

Drawing the twilight close about their throats.

Only my heart makes answer. Eager vines

Go up the rocks and wait; flushed apple-trees

Pause in their dance and break the ring for me;

And bayberry, that through sweet bevies thread

Of round-faced roses, pink and petulant,

Look back and beckon ere they disappear.

Only my heart, only my heart responds.

Yet, ah, my path is sweet on either side

All through the dragging day,—sharp underfoot

And hot, and like dead mist the dry dust hangs—

But far, oh, far as passionate eye can reach,

And long, ah, long as rapturous eye can cling,

The world is mine: blue hill, still silver lake,

Broad field, bright flower, and the long white road

A gateless garden, and an open path:

My feet to follow, and my heart to hold.


12 comments:

Unknown said...

you (she) had me at the first 3 lines.

lovely poem.

Mrs.French said...

the photo...the poetry...you...just perfect...xo t

Unknown said...

Hello, fellow desert dweller. You've been tagged! No pressure, it's an easy and fun one.
p.s. love the butterflies in the previous post!

T.Allen said...

Ah yes, to rest in the tall grass...sounds wonderful. The photo is perfect too.

Jeanne Estridge said...

Like a sip of limeade on a hot, dry day....

Hey Harriet said...

Very nice!

Tess Kincaid said...

You KNOW how much I love Edna!!

Peggy said...

"The world is mine..." aaah. Lovely, Diva. Edna has such a way with words. I'm adding you to my participating blog list. :-)

Unknown said...

Beautiful. Makes me really long for spring!

Victoria said...

Beautiful. Pulls at my heart.

Tom said...

Great selection ; i've been amazed at the participation level of the poetry reading ... can't wait for next year's to roll around .

Robynn's Ravings said...

Ahhhhhhh.....thank you......we do not stop enough to simply breathe.

I write humor, mostly, but when I read something like this (and I have always loved her), it's like finding out something wonderful about yourSELF that you had absolutely forgotten. For me it was remembering a chord within which can only be struck by sheer beauty.