Collected poems by Vachel Lindsay revised and illustrated edition |
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JOHNNY APPLESEED'S WIFE FROM THE PALACE OF EVE |
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 | Collected poems by Vachel Lindsay |  |
lvii
JOHNNY APPLESEED'S WIFE FROM THE PALACE OF EVE
The crickets call through the long, long night
And the clouds are grey and the wind goes down,
And I wonder and wait in the moonlight white
For the maid from the Chaos Town. ...
And the clouds are grey and the wind goes down,
And I wonder and wait in the moonlight white
For the maid from the Chaos Town. ...
For the maid from the Palace of Eve to come,
Soul of my body, blood of my arms,
By love made blind, by fear made dumb,
A bride, with a bride's alarms:
Soul of my body, blood of my arms,
By love made blind, by fear made dumb,
A bride, with a bride's alarms:
A girl with the bridal glory red
From, her quivering face to her rosy feet,
With her heaven-made bridal vows all said,
And mine on earth complete.
From, her quivering face to her rosy feet,
With her heaven-made bridal vows all said,
And mine on earth complete.
O Mother Eve in your deathless power,
By Adam's throne in the crumbling years,
Send her one murmuring perfect hour
Of fear and passionate tears!
By Adam's throne in the crumbling years,
Send her one murmuring perfect hour
Of fear and passionate tears!
Let her love be wild as a cataract,
The storm you knew when the morning came;
Or ever you felt the drouth of noon
Or the drouth of sin or the drouth of shame.
The storm you knew when the morning came;
Or ever you felt the drouth of noon
Or the drouth of sin or the drouth of shame.
Make her of bread from out of your hand,
Make her of honey from your board,
Make her kiss like the lightning brand
That shall pierce my soul as a sword:
Make her of honey from your board,
Make her kiss like the lightning brand
That shall pierce my soul as a sword:
lviii
Her breath of songs from the east and west
And every fragrant wind that blows;
Her splendid knees from the lily's breast
Her tender feet from the lips of the rose.
And every fragrant wind that blows;
Her splendid knees from the lily's breast
Her tender feet from the lips of the rose.
Make her a sacrificial fire
Where noble friendship shall be slain
On the spice-flamed wood of dread desire,
Stronger in glory and joy and pain.
Where noble friendship shall be slain
On the spice-flamed wood of dread desire,
Stronger in glory and joy and pain.
Make her blood of the grapes of delight,
A cup of your shadowy garden-wine;
Her breasts of the asphodel so white,
Her face of the amaranth divine!
A cup of your shadowy garden-wine;
Her breasts of the asphodel so white,
Her face of the amaranth divine!
The crickets call through the long, long night,
And the clouds are grey and the wind goes down,
And I wonder and wait in the moonlight white
For the maid from the Chaos Town:
And the clouds are grey and the wind goes down,
And I wonder and wait in the moonlight white
For the maid from the Chaos Town:
From the Chaos Town in the furthest East
Beyond the edge of the things that are,
Built from the broken rock and mist
Of many a dead titanic star.
Beyond the edge of the things that are,
Built from the broken rock and mist
Of many a dead titanic star.
And the hours go on and on and on
And my empty arms are iron and lead,
And the skies are blue, for the dawn has gone,
And I wait by a weary bed.
And my empty arms are iron and lead,
And the skies are blue, for the dawn has gone,
And I wait by a weary bed.
| Collected poems by Vachel Lindsay | |