Blind to all of it all my life long。
Triolets； villanelles； rondels； rondeaus；
Seeds in a dry pod； tick； tick； tick； Tick； tick； tick； what little iambics；
While Homer and Whitman roared in the pines？
Pauline Barrett
ALMOST the shell of a woman after the surgeon's knife
And almost a year to creep back into strength；
Till the dawn of our wedding decennial
Found me my seeming self again。
We walked the forest together；
By a path of soundless moss and turf。
But I could not look in your eyes；
And you could not look in my eyes；
For such sorrow was oursthe beginning of gray in your hair。
And I but a shell of myself。
And what did we talk of？ sky and water；
Anything； Omost； to hide our thoughts。
And then your gift of wild roses；
Set on the table to grace our dinner。
Poor heart； how bravely you struggled
To imagine and live a remembered rapture！
Then my spirit drooped as the night came on；
And you left me alone in my room for a while；
As you did when I was a bride； poor heart。
And I looked in the mirror and something said：
〃One should be all dead when one is half…dead〃
Nor ever mock life； nor ever cheat love。〃
And I did it looking there in the mirror
Dear； have you ever understood？
Mrs。 Charles Bliss
REVEREND WILEY advised me not to divorce him
For the sake of the children；
And Judge Somers advised him the same。
So we stuck to the end of the path。
But two of the children thought he was right；
And two of the children thought I was right。
And the two who sided with him blamed me；
And the two who sided with me blamed him；
And they grieved for the one they sided with。
And all were torn with the guilt of judging；
And tortured in soul because they could not admire
Equally him and me。
Now every gardener knows that plants grown in cellars
Or under stones are twisted and yellow and weak。
And no mother would let her baby suck
Diseased milk from her breast。
Yet preachers and judges advise the raising of souls
Where there is no sunlight； but only twilight；
No warmth； but only dampness and cold
Preachers and judges！
Mrs。 George Reece
To this generation I would say：
Memorize some bit of verse of truth or beauty。
It may serve a turn in your life。
My husband had nothing to do
With the fall of the bankhe was only cashier。
The wreck was due to the president； Thomas Rhodes；
And his vain； unscrupulous son。
Yet my husband was sent to prison；
And I was left with the children；
To feed and clothe and school them。
And I did it； and sent them forth
Into the world all clean and strong；
And all through the wisdom of Pope； the poet：
〃Act well your part； there all the honor lies。〃
Rev。 Lemuel Wiley
I PREACHED four thousand sermons；
I conducted forty revivals；
And baptized many converts。
Yet no deed of mine
Shines brighter in the memory of the world；
And none is treasured more by me：
Look how I saved the Blisses from divorce；
And kept the children free from that disgrace；
To grow up into moral men and women；
Happy themselves； a credit to the village。
Thomas Ross； Jr。
THIS I saw with my own eyes： A cliffswallow
Made her nest in a hole of the high clay…bank
There near Miller's Ford。
But no sooner were the young hatched
Than a snake crawled up to the nest
To devour the brood。
Then the mother swallow with swift flutterings
And shrill cries
Fought at the snake；
Blinding him with the beat of her wings；
Until he； wriggling and rearing his head；
Fell backward down the bank
Into Spoon River and was drowned。
Scarcely an hour passed
Until a shrike
Impaled the mother swallow on a thorn。
As for myself I overcame my lower nature
Only to be destroyed by my brother's ambition。
Rev。 Abner Peet
I HAD no objection at all
To selling my household effects at auction
On the village square。
It gave my beloved flock the chance
To get something which had belonged to me
For a memorial。
But that trunk which was struck off
To Burchard； the grog…keeper！
Did you know it contained the manuscripts
Of a lifetime of sermons？
And he burned them as waste paper。
Jefferson Howard
MY valiant fight！ For I call it valiant；
With my father's beliefs from old Virginia：
Hating slavery； but no less war。
I； full of spirit； audacity； courage
Thrown into life here in Spoon River；
With its dominant forces drawn from
New England； Republicans； Calvinists； merchants； bankers；
Hating me； yet fearing my arm。
With wife and children heavy to carry
Yet fruits of my very zest of life。
Stealing odd pleasures that cost me prestige；
And reaping evils I had not sown；
Foe of the church with its charnel dankness；
Friend of the human touch of the tavern；
Tangled with fates all alien to me；
Deserted by hands I called my own。
Then just as I felt my giant strength
Short of breath； behold my children
Had wound their lives in stranger gardens
And I stood alone； as I started alone
My valiant life！ I died on my feet；
Facing the silencefacing the prospect
That no one would know of the fight I made。
Albert Schirding
JONAS KEENE thought his lot a hard one
Because his children were all failures。
But I know of a fate more trying than that：
It is to be a failure while your children are successes。
For I raised a brood of eagles
Who flew away at last； leaving me
A crow on the abandoned bough。
Then； with the ambition to prefix
Honorable to my name；
And thus to win my children's admiration；
I ran for County Superintendent of Schools；
Spending my accumulations to win and lost。
That fall my daughter received first prize in
Paris For her picture； entitled； 〃The Old Mill〃
（It was of the water mill before Henry Wilkin put in steam。）
The feeling that I was not worthy of her finished me。
Jonas Keene
WHY did Albert Schirding kill himself
Trying to be County Superintendent of Schools；
Blest as he was with the means of life
And wonderful children； bringing him honor
Ere he was sixty？
If even one of my boys could have run a news…stand；
Or one of my girls could have married a decent man；
I should not have walked in the rain
And jumped into bed with clothes all wet；
Refusing medical aid。
Yee Bow
THEY got me into the Sunday…school
In Spoon River And tried to get me to drop
Confucius for Jesus。 I could have been no worse off
If I had tried to get them to drop Jesus for Confucius。
For； without any warning； as if it were a prank；
And sneaking up behind me； Harry Wiley；
The minister's son； caved my ribs into my lungs；
With a blow of his fist。
Now I shall never sleep with my ancestors in Pekin；
And no children shall worship at my grave。
Washington McNeely
RICH； honored by my fellow citizens；
The father of many children； born of a noble mother；
All raised there
In the great mansionhouse； at the edge of town。
Note the cedar tree on the lawn！
I sent all the boys to Ann Arbor； all of the girls to Rockford；
The while my life went on； getting more riches and honors
Resting under my cedar tree at evening。
The years went on。 I sent the girls to Europe；
I dowered them when married。
I gave the boys money to start in business。
They were strong children； promising as apples
Before the bitten places show。
But John fled the country in disgrace。
Jenny died in child…birth
I sat under my cedar tree。
Harry killed himself after a debauch； Susan was divorced
I sat under my cedar tree。 Paul was invalided from over study；
Mary became a recluse at home for love of a man
I sat under my cedar tree。
All were gone； or broken…winged or devoured by life
I sat under my cedar tree。
My mate； the mother of them； was taken
I sat under my cedar tree；
Till ninety years were tolled。
O maternal Earth； which rocks the fallen leaf to sleep。
Mary McNeely
PASSER…BY；
To love is to find your own soul
Through the soul of the beloved one。
When the beloved one withdraws itself from your soul
Then you have lost your soul。
It is written： 〃l have a friend；
But my sorrow has no friend。〃
Hence my long years of solitude at the home of my father；
Trying to get myself back；
And to turn my sorrow into a supremer self。
But there was my father with his sorrows；
Sitting under the cedar tree；
A picture that sank into my heart at last
Bringing infinite repose。
Oh； ye souls who have made life
Fragrant and white as tube roses
From earth's dark soil；
Eternal peace！
Daniel M'Cumber
WHEN I went to the city； Mary McNeely；
I meant to return for you； yes I did。
But Laura； my landlady's daughter；
Stole into my life somehow； and won me away。
Then after some years whom should I meet
But Georgine Miner from Nilesa sprout
Of the free love； Fourierist gardens that flourished
Before the war all over Ohio。
Her dilettante lover had tired of her；
And she turned to me for strength and solace。
She was some kind of a crying thing
One takes in one's arms； and all at once
It slimes your face with its running nose；
And voids its essence all over you；
Then bites your hand and springs away。
And there you stand bleeding and smelling to heaven
Why； Mary McNeely； I was not worthy
To kiss the hem of your robe！
Georgine Sand Miner
A STEPMOTHER drove me from home； embittering me。
A squaw…man； a flaneur and dilettante took my virtue。
For years I was his mistressno one knew。
I learned from him the parasite cunning
With which I moved with the bluffs； like a flea on a dog。
All the time I was nothing but 〃very private；〃 with different men。
Then Daniel； the radical； had me for years。
His sister called me his mistress；
And Daniel wrote me：
〃Shameful word； soiling our beautifullove！〃
But my anger coiled； preparing its fangs。
My Lesbian friend next took a hand。
She hated Daniel's sister。
And Daniel despised her midget husband。
And she saw a chance for a poisonous thrust：
I must complain to the wife of Daniel's pursuit！
But before I did that I begged him to fly to London with me。
〃Why not stay in the city just as we have？〃 he asked。
Then I turned submarine and revenged his repulse
In the arms of my dilettante friend。
Then up to the surface； Bearing the letter that Daniel wrote me
To prove my honor was all intact； showing it to his wife；
My Lesbian friend and everyone。
If Daniel had only shot me dead！
Instead of stripping me naked of lies
A harlot in body and soul。
Thomas