THE LONG MOMENT

A white sigh clouds the fields
Into quietness. 
Above the billowed snow
I drift,
One year,
Two years,
Three years. 
Hurt eyes mist in the blue behind me. 
The moon uncoils in glistening ropes
And I glide downward along the dripping rays
To a marble lake.

DESIGNS

I

Night

Fields of black tulips
And swarms of gold bees
Drinking their bitter honey.

II

New Moon

Above the gnarled old tree
That clings to the bleakest side of the mountain,
A torch of ivory and gold;
And across the sky,
The silver print
Of spirit feet,
Fled from the wonder.

III

Tropic Moon

The glowing anvil,
Beaten by the winds;
Star sparks,
Burning and dying in the heavens;
The furnace glare
Red
On the polished palm leaves.

IV

Winter Moon

A little white thistle moon
Blown over the cold crags and fens: 
A little white thistle moon
Blown across the frozen heather.

ARGO

White sails
Unbillowed by any wind,
The moon ship,
Among shoals of cloud,
Stranded stars,
Bare bosoms,
And netted hair of light,
On the shores of the world.

JAPANESE MOON

Thick clustered wistaria clouds,
A young girl moon in a mist of almond flowers,
Boughs and boughs of light;
Then a round-faced ivory lady
Nodding among fading chrysanthemums.

HOT MOON

Moon rise. 
Great gong sounds, shining—­
Little feet run away. 
Loud and solemn, the funeral gong. 
Little feet run away.

THE NAIAD

The moon rises,
Glistening,
Naked white,
Out of her stream.

Wet marble shoulders
Shake star drops on the clouds.

FLOODTIDE

Across the shadows of the surf
The lights of the ship
Twinkle despondently. 
The clinging absorbent gray darkness
Sucks them into itself: 
Drinks the pale golden tears greedily.

MOUNTAIN PASS IN AUGUST

Night scatters grapes for the harvest. 
The moon burns like a leaf. 
Along the mountain path
A thin streak of light
Creeps hungrily with its silver belly to the earth. 
The old hound laps up the shadows. 
Her teats drip the brighter darkness.