Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE GRASS, by MAY LEWIS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE GRASS, by                    
First Line: How is the grass set free?
Last Line: Or lovelier to behold!
Alternate Author Name(s): Goldstone, Mrs. Lafayette Anthony
Subject(s): Grass


How is the grass set free?
What liberates the green?
Is there some urging need,
Some inkling of that upper, far-spread scene,
Wedged in the seed,
That wills: go forth and be?

How can the tiny grains,
Held under heavy earth,
In that moist, smothering brown
Foresee the sunlight's worth,
Or dare, when that hard surface holds them down,
To suffer thrusting pains?

Is it from earth's deep heart,
That edict: Unhusk; go!
You shall behold a sky . . .
Undoubtedly, blades know
A motion to leap high,
Something that makes them start.

Or, from an ambient sun,
Perhaps, through miles of air
There falls a foreign word
Descriptive of how fair
To see the thunderous rain -- the singing bird
The white snow lightly spun!

Now the brave answer spreads --
Even the rock is glad;
The green -- the green is here!
The naked suffering of the earth is clad;
A velvet folds the sphere;
The cattle bend their heads.

Must floor of heaven be gold?
Or pearl -- or ruby red?
There, where our high dreams pass,
With floating, featherlike tread --
What purer than new grass?
Or lovelier to behold!





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