Вэчел Линдсей (Vachel Lindsay)

The Strength of the Lonely

(What the Mendicant Said)

The moon’s a monk, unmated, 
Who walks his cell, the sky.
His strength is that of heaven-vowed men
Who all life’s flames defy.

They turn to stars or shadows,
They go like snow or dew—
Leaving behind no sorrow—
Only the arching blue.