Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE BLUE SCARF, by AMY LOWELL


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE BLUE SCARF, by                 Poet's Biography
First Line: Pale, with the blue of high zeniths, shimmered over with silver, brocaded
Last Line: How loud clocks can tick when a room is empty, and one is alone!
Subject(s): Infatuation; Love - Unrequited; Scarves; Clothing & Dress; Flowers; Kisses; Women


Pale, with the blue of high zeniths, shimmered over with silver, brocaded
In smooth, running patterns, a soft stuff, with dark knotted fringes, it lies
there,
Warm from a woman's soft shoulders, and my fingers close on it, caressing.
Where is she, the woman who wore it? The scent of her lingers and drugs me!
A languor, fire-shotted, runs through me, and I crush the scarf down on my
face,
And gulp in the warmth and the blueness, and my eyes swim in cool-tinted
heavens.
Around me are columns of marble, and a diapered, sun-flickered pavement.
Rose-leaves blow and patter against it. Below the stone steps a lute tinkles.
A jar of green jade throws its shadow half over the floor. A big-bellied
Frog hops through the sunlight and plops in the gold-bubbled water of a
basin,
Sunk in the black and white marble. The west wind has lifted a scarf
On the seat close beside me, the blue of it is a violent outrage of colour.
She draws it more closely about her, and it ripples beneath her slight stirring.
Her kisses are sharp buds of fire; and I burn back against her, a jewel
Hard and white; a stalked, flaming flower; till I break to a handful of cinders,
And open my eyes to the scarf, shining blue in the afternoon sunshine.
How loud clocks can tick when a room is empty, and one is alone!





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