Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE WEDDING FEAST: 6, by ANNA HEMPSTEAD BRANCH Poet's Biography First Line: No more - no more - not any more Last Line: "I am mother to all living men!" Subject(s): Marriage; Weddings; Husbands; Wives | ||||||||
No more -- no more -- not any more Those daemon eyes were bent on me. I was a maid as I was before. My love had come to marry me. They knew not of my spirit's flight, Guessed not my starry wandering. The torch was lit, the feast was bright, For the daughter of the king. In at the door my true love came. Trembling, I looked into his eyes. I saw the stars of memory flame, Eternal as the skies. I cried, "When I abroad did rove You saw me shine, exalted, strange. Lo now, the miracle of love -- In me, -- a silent, shining change. "Forevermore my wings must reach And in fair skies must brightly spread. My mouth must utter beauteous speech, And stars must shine above my head. "A change has come on me. Mine eyes Are spiritual and I must see Another world and stranger skies Than ever used to be. "Nothing is now as once it seemed Before I ran with the daemon bright. Beauty has out of terror streamed, All in a single night!" I cried, "What change has come on death, That I no more corruption see, But breathe a keener breath? It is a change in me! I have grown ethereal, Exalted, immaterial, Wiser and merrier than I used to be. "When I regard the church-yard dust And touch the grain of dead men's bones, My sight, as spirit vision must, Sinks through the melting stones. "I seem to hear upon the air A sweet, a multitudinous sound! Ten thousand creatures dancing there Make beautiful the ground. "The fountains leap! The fountains spring! They heal me with their cool delight! I weep, and merrily I sing, A creature passionately bright. I feed upon the loveliest fruit That ever shone on any tree. I bite its mild mysterious root, I dance in ecstasy. Gleaming softly in and out Calm dead people move about As happy as can be. "I cannot grieve! I cannot weep! I cannot see an unholy thing! Behold -- a corpse laid out to sleep. Death swathed it in a living wing, And underneath that snow-white plume I heard a happy creature sing. For now love's breath is in my hair, Mine eyes have seen the greater bliss. My smiling lips shall always wear The splendor of my great Love's kiss. "Now must they be deep welts of truth, Wherefrom a fount of beauty springs. The mouth, whereon His lips were pressed, Shall murmur dread ecstatic things." I laughed aloud -- "Love, we are gods, Beyond all earthly bars! And underneath our feet the sod Is suns and moons and stars. "We gather meteors in our hands, We drink the bubbling spheres. Our bread is seas and lands. We breathe The cyclones of the years. "Our garments bright are woven of light, Of golden stars and whirling air. And times and change and histories strange, And Judgment Days, are acted there. "Thy shape is white with murmuring moons, Woven of strong stars thy body is. Thou art those flashing orbs -- my soul, Their ancient melodies! "Now are we one before God's sight, Purged brightly clean with mightiest grief, With chastened longing and a mood Humble beyond belief. "Love, thou art Priest at Heaven's shrine! The Truth thou knowest, cry again! My breasts are beautiful with milk. I am mother to all living men!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A BLESSING FOR A WEDDING by JANE HIRSHFIELD A SUITE FOR MARRIAGE by DAVID IGNATOW ADVICE TO HER SON ON MARRIAGE by MARY BARBER THE RABBI'S SON-IN-LAW by SABINE BARING-GOULD KISSING AGAIN by DORIANNE LAUX A TIME PAST by DENISE LEVERTOV SONGS FOR MY MOTHER: 2. HER HANDS by ANNA HEMPSTEAD BRANCH |
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