Edgar Lee Masters

St. Francis and Lady Clare

  Antonio loved the Lady Clare.
  He caught her to him on the stair
  And pressed her breasts and kissed her hair,
  And drew her lips in his, and drew
  Her soul out like a torch's flare.
  Her breath came quick, her blood swirled round;
  Her senses in a vortex swound.
  She tore him loose and turned around,
  And reached her chamber in a bound
  Her cheeks turned to a poppy's hue.

  She closed the door and turned the lock,
  Her breasts and flesh were turned to rock.
  She reeled as drunken from the shock.
  Before her eyes the devils skipped,
  She thought she heard the devils mock.
  For had her soul not been as pure
  As sifted snow, could she endure
  Antonio's passion and be sure
  Against his passion's strength and lure?
  Lean fears along her wonder slipped.

  Outside she heard a drunkard call,
  She heard a beggar against the wall
  Shaking his cup, a harlot's squall
  Struck through the riot like a sword,
  And gashed the midnight's festival.
  She watched the city through the pane,
  The old Silenus half insane,
  The idiot crowd that drags its chain--
  And then she heard the bells again,
  And heard the voices with the word:

  Ecco il santo! Up the street
  There was the sound of running feet
  From closing door and window seat,
  And all the crowd turned on its way
  The Saint of Poverty to greet.
  He passed. And then a circling thrill,
  As water troubled which was still,
  Went through her body like a chill,
  Who of Antonio thought until
  She heard the Saint begin to pray.

  And then she turned into the room
  Her soul was cloven through with doom,
  Treading the softness and the gloom
  Of Asia's silk and Persia's wool,
  And China's magical perfume.
  She sickened from the vases hued
  In corals, yellows, greens, the lewd
  Twined dragon shapes and figures nude,
  And tapestries that showed a brood
  Of leopards by a pool!

  Candles of wax she lit before
  A pier glass standing from the floor;
  Up to the ceiling, off she tore
  With eager hands her jewels, then
  The silken vesture which she wore.
  Her little breasts so round to see
  Were budded like the peony.
  Her arms were white as ivory,
  And all her sunny hair lay free
  As marigold or celandine.

  Her blue eyes sparkled like a vase
  Of crackled turquoise, in her face
  Was memory of the mad embrace
  Antonio gave her on the stair,
  And on her cheeks a salt tear's trace.
  Like pigeon blood her lips were red.
  She clasped her bands above her head.
  Under her arms the waxlight shed
  Delicate halos where was spread
  The downy growth of hair.

  Such sudden sin the virgin knew
  She quenched the tapers as she blew
  Puff! puff! upon them, then she threw
  Herself in tears upon her knees,
  And round her couch the curtain drew.
  She called upon St. Francis' name,
  Feeling Antonio's passion maim
  Her body with his passion's flame
  To save her, save her from the shame
  Of fancies such as these!

  "Go by mad life and old pursuits,
  The wine cup and the golden fruits,
  The gilded mirrors, rosewood flutes,
  I would praise God forevermore
  With harps of gold and silver lutes."
  She stripped the velvet from her couch
  Her broken spirit to avouch.
  She saw the devils slink and slouch,
  And passion like a leopard crouch
  Half mirrored on the polished floor.

  Next day she found the saint and said:
  I would be God's bride, I would wed
  Poverty and I would eat the bread
  That you for anchorites prepare,
  For my soul's sake I am in dread.
  Go then, said Francis, nothing loth,
  Put off this gown of green snake cloth,
  Put on one somber as a moth,
  Then come to me and make your troth
  And I will clip your golden hair.

  She went and came. But still there lay,
  A gem she did not put away,
  A locket twixt her breasts, all gay
  In shimmering pearls and tints of blue,
  And inlay work of fruit and spray.
  St. Francis felt it as he slipped
  His hand across her breast and whipped
  Her golden tresses ere he clipped--
  He closed his eyes then as he gripped
  The shears, plunged the shears through.

  The waterfall of living gold.
  The locks fell to the floor and rolled,
  And curled like serpents which unfold.
  And there sat Lady Clare despoiled.
  Of worldly glory manifold.
  She thrilled to feel him take and hide
  The locket from her breast, a tide
  Of passion caught them side by side.
  He was the bridegroom, she the bride--
  Their flesh but not their spirits foiled.

  Thus was the Lady Clare debased
  To sack cloth and around her waist
  A rope the jeweled belt replaced.
  Her feet made free of silken hose
  Naked in wooden sandals cased
  Went bruised to Bastia's chapel, then
  They housed her in St. Damian
  And here she prayed for poor women
  And here St. Francis sought her when
  His faith sank under earthly woes.

  Antonio cursed St. Clare in rhyme
  And took to wine and got the lime
  Of hatred on his soul, in time
  Grew healed though left a little lame,
  And laughed about it in his prime;
  When he could see with crystal eyes
  That love is a winged thing which flies;
  Some break the wings, some let them rise
  From earth like God's dove to the skies
  Diffused in heavenly flame.