Poem by Elinor Wylie

Fire and Sleet and Candlelight

For this you've striven
Daring, to fail:
Your sky is riven
Like a tearing veil.

For this, you've wasted
Wings of your youth;
Divined, and tasted
Bitter springs of truth.

From sand unslakèd
Twisted strong cords,
And wandering naked
Among trysted swords.

There's a word unspoken,
A knot untied.
Whatever is broken
The earth may hide.

The road was jagged
Over sharp stones:
Your body's too ragged
To cover your bones.

The wind scatters
Tears upon dust;
Your soul's in tatters
Where the spears thrust.

1. Upon Your Heart, Which Is.the Heart of All
2. One Person
3. Poor Earth
4. Silver Filigree
5. The Broken Man

Print

1782 Views

Last Poems

To Russian version