When I went wandering far from home, I left a woman in my room To clean my hearth and floor, and dust My shelves and pictures, books and bust. When I came back a welcome glow Burned in her eyes -- her voice was low; And every thing was in its place, As clean and bright as her own face. But when I looked more closely there, The dust was on my dark, bronze hair; The nose and eyebrows too were white -- And yet the lips were clean and bright. The years have gone, and so has she, But still the truth remains with me -- How that hard mouth was once kept clean By living lips that kissed unseen. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TWILIGHT SONG by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON AFTER THE PLEASURE PARTY by HERMAN MELVILLE MADLY SINGING IN THE MOUNTAINS by PO CHU-YI THE SLEEPER by EDGAR ALLAN POE ASTROPHEL AND STELLA: 54 by PHILIP SIDNEY |