Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Henry James, Awake, Asleep


Awake

He ached to make
his great round self today
deploy the sharpest lean acuity –

permit an edge to softer senses,
so to wed to – thus to wield –
the finer assiduity.

+++++

Asleep

Oh, sweet relief! –
again, it seems for once –
to let the wily thief
of sleep prove him the dunce –

un-gird his girth of words
and lease them flight
like savage birds
into the undiscerning night.





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