White Armed, Passionless

White armed passionless

Soft syllable fed

Gathering the golden drops

How I upheld you there.

What delicate word restrained you?

To earliest spring confined you

Seeing the sycamore twin-winged

Green shoots, seeds from the moist earth.

Green eyed without fear

Every movement scanned

Gay in the thin sun — Child

How I complied with you.

Child woman light of step

Heart at ease, bright of word

Blessing the bird’s song.  What

Could I give you?

Only the clear word

Straight from the eye’s sight

Stripped of the heart’s ache

Poetry of the fact.

White armed passionless

Soft syllable fed

Gathering the golden drops

How I upheld you there.