Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, SEARCH, by MARY REYNOLDS ALDIS


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

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First Line: I have a dress woven of rose and gold
Last Line: And it died.


I have a dress woven of rose and gold,
And glinting jewels in my hair:
And yet my mirror shows
Only a shade
In grey.

My garden lies beneath the summer moon
Like Danae to the rain of gold:
The softest airs are there --
Why is the moon
So cold?

I saw a mountain towering silently;
I saw two swallows swiftly fly;
I saw a nun at prayer:
All these look up --
And I?

I went into the forest, and I found
A flower's perfume lingering:
Upon the ground were petals
Trampled down
And broken.

I passed among a crowd of moving men.
Their eyes were unalight, their hands
Reached out for unknown aid:
What do you seek?
I said.

I looked along white faces in a temple.
It seemed they came together there
Better to hide in praise
Each one a secret
Prayer.

My feet are fleet to carry me away:
But when I ask who follows me,
There comes a silent answer,
Go no further --
It is I.

I heard ecstatic music in a church --
Te Deums mounting high and clear:
If all that sound were true,
There must be God
To hear.

I saw them putting candles by an altar,
And all that holy place was bright.
I put my candle there --
Why did it shed
No light?

I heard the ocean crying to the night,
And looked to see if God were there.
Till dawning day I watched:
Oh tell me, where
Is God?

I saw, against the white of winter snow,
The blackened stalks of summer flowers
Bending above the footprints
Of a girl who dreamed
Of love.

Pictures there are and music and the dance,
And books, and multitudes of things:
So many thoughts sent forth.
And each one says,
I want!

Philosophers are wise, I said, and searched
Great golden books, but only found
In every learned line
A wistfulness
Like mine.

I looked and saw not one familiar face:
And yet I called, O Brother, Brother!
And many an answer came
In greeting to
Another.

. . . . . . . . . . .

From my dim hope I made a prayer with wings.
Out through the void it flew and cried,
Beating upon the Silence.
Silence answered --
And it died.





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