Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, UNDERCURRENTS, by MARGARET SACKVILLE


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

UNDERCURRENTS, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Oh! Mrs. Hawkins! What a perfect rose!
Last Line: (green waters—and blue sky and golden light!)
Subject(s): Flowers; Roses; Summer


Summer. The Local Flower Show. Mrs. Brown Speaks.

OH! Mrs. Hawkins! what a perfect rose!
Quite PERFECT. You should take First Prize.
These shows
Are such a benefit, are they not? (Fifteen—
No—twenty years ago!) I've never seen
Such weather! (Can it be as long as that?)
Mabel, my dear, what a becoming hat!
London? Of course. (But I shall go quite mad!
I mustn't think of these things.) Thanks, I've had
My tea already. (Ah! this summer scent,
And shade and sunlight!) Let us leave the tent—
The air is stifling—stifling, is it not?
(Memories—memories—I defy the lot!)
They're going to dance to-night—Such fun!—The band
Is here already.—Really we're quite grand.
And go-ahead. (But why this afternoon
Should all this come upon me?) What a tune!
A sort of ragtime surely? (Why, oh, why?
And yet I haven't changed—I am still I—
Middle-aged, dull, and kindly—glad to see
My friends on Sunday afternoons at tea.
—I'm Mrs. Brown of Durbar Cottage.) Yes,
I've read the book, and like it—more or less—
A little—? Don't you think? (But it is true
That there are dancing waters green and blue.
Somewhere—and a little foreign town
With golden lights?) Oh, yes—I'm Mrs. Brown—
I think we've met before. Good-bye—Good-night!
(Green waters—and blue sky and golden light!)





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