Three by Cummings I

Poems by Edward Estlin Cummings.

the hours rise up putting off stars and it is
dawn
into the street of the sky light walks scattering poems

on earth a candle is
extinguished         the city
wakes
with a song upon her
mouth having death in her eyes

and it is dawn
the world
goes forth to murder dreams....

i see in the street where strong
men are digging bread
and i see the brutal faces of
people contented hideous hopeless cruel happy

and it is day,

in the mirror
i see a frail
man
dreaming
dreams
dreams in the mirror

and it
is dusk         on earth

a candle is lighted
and it is dark.
the people are in their houses
the frail man is in his bed
the city

sleeps with death upon her mouth having a song in her eyes
the hours descend,
putting on stars....

in the street of the sky night walks scattering poems

(Tulips & Chimneys IMPRESSIONS IX)

who are you,little i

(five or six years old)
peering from some high

window;at the gold


of november sunset

(and feeling:that if day
has to become night

this is a beautiful way)

(73 Poems 52)

the glory is fallen out of
the sky the last immortal
leaf
is

dead and the gold
year
a formal spasm
in the

dust
this is the passing of all shining things
therefore we also
blandly

into receptive
earth, O let
us
descend

take
shimmering wind
these fragile splendors from
us crumple them hide

them in thy breath drive
them in nothingness
for we
would sleep
this is the passing of all shining things
no lingering no backward-
wondering be unto
us O

soul, but straight
glad feet fearruining
and glorygirded
faces

lead us
into the
serious
steep

darkness

(Tulips & Chimneys IMPRESSIONS VII)

Complete Poems (1991), ed. George J. Firmage, pp. 67, 824, 49.

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Sun. 11/14/04 07:45:12 AM
Categorized as Literary & Sunday Poetry Series.