Saturday, June 16, 2012

'My Love': a poem by e.e.cummings

my love
thy hair is one kingdom
   the king whereof is darkness
thy forehead is a flight of flowers

thy head is a quick forest
   filled with sleeping birds
thy breasts are swarms of white bees
   upon the bough of thy body
thy body to me is April
in whose armpits is the approach of spring

thy thighs are white horses yoked to a chariot
   of kings
they are the striking of a good minstrel
between them is always a pleasant song

my love
thy head is a casket
   of the cool jewel of thy mind
the hair of thy head is one warrior
   innocent of defeat
thy hair upon thy shoulders is an army
   with victory and with trumpets

thy legs are the trees of dreaming
whose fruit is the very eatage of forgetfulness

thy lips are satraps in scarlet
   in whose kiss is the combining of kings
thy wrists
are holy
   which are the keepers of the keys of thy blood
thy feet upon thy ankles are flowers in vases
   of silver

in thy beauty is the dilemma of flutes

   thy eyes are the betrayal
of bells comprehended through incense