The Weary Blues Read Online Free Page A

one.
                             II
    Would
    That I were a garment,
    A shimmering, silken garment,
    That all my folds
    Might wrap about thy body,
    Absorb thy body,
    Hold and hide thy body,
    Thou dark one.
                            III
    Would
    That I were a flame,
    But one sharp, leaping flame
    To annihilate thy body,
    Thou dark one.

ARDELLA
    I would liken you
    To a night without stars
    Were it not for your eyes.
    I would liken you
    To a sleep without dreams
    Were it not for your songs.

POEM
                             To the Black Beloved
    Ah,
    My black one,
    Thou art not beautiful
    Yet thou hast
    A loveliness
    Surpassing beauty.
    Oh,
    My black one,
    Thou art not good
    Yet thou hast
    A purity
    Surpassing goodness.
    Ah,
    My black one,
    Thou art not luminous
    Yet an altar of jewels,
    An altar of shimmering jewels,
    Would pale in the light
    Of thy darkness,
    Pale in the light
    Of thy nightness.

WHEN SUE WEARS RED
    When Susanna Jones wears red
    Her face is like an ancient cameo
    Turned brown by the ages.
    Come with a blast of trumpets,
        Jesus!
    When Susanna Jones wears red
    A queen from some time-dead Egyptian night
    Walks once again.
    Blow trumpets, Jesus!
    And the beauty of Susanna Jones in red
    Burns in my heart a love-fire sharp like pain.
    Sweet silver trumpets,
        Jesus!

PIERROT
    I work all day,
    Said Simple John,
    Myself a house to buy.
    I work all day,
    Said Simple John,
    But Pierrot wondered why.
    For Pierrot loved the long white road,
    And Pierrot loved the moon,
    And Pierrot loved a star-filled sky,
    And the breath of a rose in June.
    I have one wife,
    Said Simple John,
    And, faith, I love her yet.
    I have one wife,
    Said Simple John,
    But Pierrot left Pierrette.
    For Pierrot saw a world of girls,
    And Pierrot loved each one,
    And Pierrot thought all maidens fair
    As flowers in the sun.
    Oh, I am good,
    Said Simple John,
    The Lord will take me in.
    Yes, I am good,
    Said Simple John,
    But Pierrot’s steeped in sin.
    For Pierrot played on a slim guitar,
    And Pierrot loved the moon,
    And Pierrot ran down the long white road
    With the burgher’s wife one June.

WATER-FRONT STREETS

WATER-FRONT STREETS
    The spring is not so beautiful there,—
        But dream ships sail away
    To where the spring is wondrous rare
        And life is gay.
    The spring is not so beautiful there,—
        But lads put out to sea
    Who carry beauties in their hearts
        And dreams, like me.

A FAREWELL
    With gypsies and sailors,
    Wanderers of the hills and seas,
    I go to seek my fortune.
    With pious folk and fair
    I must have a parting.
    But you will not miss me,—
    You who live between the hills
    And have never seen the seas.

LONG TRIP
    The sea is a wilderness of waves,
    A desert of water.
    We dip and dive,
    Rise and roll,
    Hide and are hidden
    On the sea.
        Day, night,
        Night, day,
    The sea is a desert of waves,
    A wilderness of water.

PORT TOWN
    Hello, sailor boy,
    In from the sea!
    Hello, sailor,
    Come with me!
    Come on drink cognac.
    Rather have wine?
    Come here, I love you.
    Come and be mine.
    Lights, sailor boy,
    Warm, white lights.
    Solid land, kid.
    Wild, white nights.
    Come on, sailor,
    Out o’ the sea.
    Let’s go, sweetie!
    Come with me.

SEA CALM
    How still,
    How strangely still
    The water is today.
    It is not good
    For water
    To be so still that way.

CARIBBEAN SUNSET
    God having a hemorrhage,
    Blood coughed across the sky,
    Staining the dark sea red,
    That is sunset in the Caribbean.

YOUNG SAILOR
    He carries
    His own strength
    And his own laughter,
    His own today
    And his own hereafter,—
    This strong young sailor
    Of the wide seas.
    What is money for?
    To spend, he says.
    And wine?
    To drink.
    And women?
    To love.
    And today?
    For joy.
    And tomorrow?
    For joy.
    And the green sea
    For strength,
    And the brown land
    For laughter.
    And nothing hereafter.

SEASCAPE
    Off the coast of Ireland
        As our ship passed