If Daniel had only shot me dead！
Instead of stripping me naked of lies
A harlot in body and soul。
Thomas Rhodes
VERY well； you liberals；
And navigators into realms intellectual；
You sailors through heights imaginative；
Blown about by erratic currents； tumbling into air pockets；
You Margaret Fuller Slacks； Petits；
And Tennessee Claflin Shopes
You tound with all your boasted wisdom
How hard at the last it is
To keep the soul from splitting into cellular atoms。
While we； seekers of earth's treasures
Getters and hoarders of gold；
Are self…contained； compact； harmonized；
Even to the end。
Penniwit； the Artist
I LOST my patronage in Spoon River
From trying to put my mind in the camera
To catch the soul of the person。
The very best picture I ever took
Was of Judge Somers； attorney at law。
He sat upright and had me pause
Till he got his cross…eye straight。
Then when he was ready he said 〃all right。〃
And I yelled 〃overruled〃 and his eye turned up。
And I caught him just as he used to look
When saying 〃l except。〃
Jim Brown
WHILE I was handling Dom Pedro
I got at the thing that divides the race between men who are
For singing 〃Turkey in the straw〃 or
〃There is a fountain filled with blood〃
（Like Rile Potter used to sing it over at Concord）。
For cards； or for Rev。 Peet's lecture on the holy land；
For skipping the light fantastic； or passing the plate；
For Pinafore； or a Sunday school cantata；
For men； or for money；
For the people or against them。
This was it： Rev。 Peet and the Social Purity Club；
Headed by Ben Pantier's wife；
Went to the Village trustees；
And asked them to make me take Dom Pedro
From the barn of Wash McNeely； there at the edge of town；
To a barn outside of the corporation；
On the ground that it corrupted public morals。
Well； Ben Pantier and Fiddler Jones saved the day
They thought it a slam on colts。
Robert Davidson
I GREW spiritually fat living off the souls of men。
If I saw a soul that was strong
I wounded its pride and devoured its strength。
The shelters of friendship knew my cunning
For where I could steal a friend I did so。
And wherever I could enlarge my power
By undermining ambition； I did so；
Thus to make smooth my own。
And to triumph over other souls；
Just to assert and prove my superior strength；
Was with me a delight；
The keen exhilaration of soul gymnastics。
Devouring souls； I should have lived forever。
But their undigested remains bred in me a deadly nephritis；
With fear； restlessness； sinking spirits；
Hatred； suspicion； vision disturbed。
I collapsed at last with a shriek。
Remember the acorn；
It does not devour other acorns。
Elsa Wertman
I WAS a peasant girl from Germany；
Blue…eyed； rosy； happy and strong。
And the first place I worked was at Thomas Greene's。
On a summer's day when she was away
He stole into the kitchen and took me
Right in his arms and kissed me on my throat；
I turning my head。 Then neither of us
Seemed to know what happened。
And I cried for what would become of me。
And cried and cried as my secret began to show。
One day Mrs。 Greene said she understood；
And would make no trouble for me；
And； being childless； would adopt it。
（He had given her a farm to be still。 ）
So she hid in the house and sent out rumors；
As if it were going to happen to her。
And all went well and the child was born
They were so kind to me。
Later I married Gus Wertman； and years passed。
But at political rallies when sitters…by thought I was crying
At the eloquence of Hamilton Greene
That was not it。 No！ I wanted to say：
That's my son！
That's my son。
Hamilton Greene
I WAS the only child of Frances Harris of Virginia
And Thomas Greene of Kentucky；
Of valiant and honorable blood both。
To them I owe all that I became；
Judge； member of Congress； leader in the State。
From my mother I inherited
Vivacity； fancy； language；
From my father will； judgment； logic。
All honor to them
For what service I was to the people！
Ernest Hyde
MY mind was a mirror：
It saw what it saw； it knew what it knew。
In youth my mind was just a mirror In a rapidly flying car；
Which catches and loses bits of the landscape。
Then in time
Great scratches were made on the mirror；
Letting the outside world come in；
And letting my inner self look out。
For this is the birth of the soul in sorrow；
A birth with gains and losses。
The mind sees the world as a thing apart；
And the soul makes the world at one with itself。
A mirror scratched reflects no image
And this is the silence of wisdom。
Roger Heston
OH many times did Ernest Hyde and I
Argue about the freedom of the will。
My favorite metaphor was Prickett's cow
Roped out to grass； and free you know as far
As the length of the rope。
One day while arguing so； watching the cow
Pull at the rope to get beyond the circle
Which she had eaten bare；
Out came the stake； and tossing up her head；
She ran for us。
〃What's that； free…will or what？〃 said Ernest； running。
I fell just as she gored me to my death。
Amos Sibley
NOT character； not fortitude； not patience
Were mine； the which the village thought I had
In bearing with my wife； while preaching on；
Doing the work God chose for me。
I loathed her as a termagant； as a wanton。
I knew of her adulteries； every one。
But even so； if I divorced the woman
I must forsake the ministry。
Therefore to do God's work and have it crop；
I bore with her
So lied I to myself
So lied I to Spoon River！
Yet I tried lecturing； ran for the legislature；
Canvassed for books； with just the thought in mind：
If I make money thus；
I will divorce her。
Mrs。 Sibley
THE secret of the stars gravitation。
The secret of the earth layers of rock。
The secret of the soil to receive seed。
The secret of the seed the germ。
The secret of man the sower。
The secret of woman the soil。
My secret： Under a mound that you shall never find。
Adam Weirauch
I WAS crushed between Altgeld and Armour。
I lost many friends； much time and money
Fighting for Altgeld whom Editor Whedon
Denounced as the candidate of gamblers and anarchists。
Then Armour started to ship dressed meat to Spoon River；
Forcing me to shut down my slaughter…house
And my butcher shop went all to pieces。
The new forces of Altgeld and Armour caught me
At the same time。 I thought it due me； to recoup the money I lost
And to make good the friends that left me；
For the Governor to appoint me Canal Commissioner。
Instead he appointed Whedon of the Spoon River Argus；
So I ran for the legislature and was elected。
I said to hell with principle and sold my vote
On Charles T。 Yerkes' street…car franchise。
Of course I was one of the fellows they caught。
Who was it； Armour； Altgeld or myself
That ruined me？
Ezra Bartlett
A CHAPLAIN in the army；
A chaplain in the prisons；
An exhorter in Spoon River；
Drunk with divinity； Spoon River
Yet bringing poor Eliza Johnson to shame；
And myself to scorn and wretchedness。
But why will you never see that love of women；
And even love of wine；
Are the stimulants by which the soul； hungering for divinity；
Reaches the ecstatic vision
And sees the celestial outposts？
Only after many trials for strength；
Only when all stimulants fail；
Does the aspiring soul
By its own sheer power
Find the divine
By resting upon itself。
Amelia Garrick
YES； here I lie close to a stunted rose bush
In a forgotten place near the fence
Where the thickets from Siever's woods
Have crept over； growing sparsely。
And you； you are a leader in New York；
The wife of a noted millionaire；
A name in the society columns；
Beautiful； admired； magnified perhaps
By the mirage of distance。
You have succeeded；
I have failed In the eyes of the world。
You are alive； I am dead。
Yet I know that I vanquished your spirit；
And I know that lying here far from you；
Unheard of among your great friends
In the brilliant world where you move；
I am really the unconquerable power over your life
That robs it of complete triumph。
John Hancock Otis
As to democracy； fellow citizens；
Are you not prepared to admit
That l； who inherited riches and was to the manor born；
Was second to none in Spoon River
In my devotion to the cause of Liberty？
While my contemporary； Anthony Findlay；
Born in a shanty and beginning life
As a water carrier to the section hands；
Then becoming a section hand when he was grown；
Afterwards foreman of the gang； until he rose
To the superintendency of the railroad；
Living in Chicago；
Was a veritable slave driver；
Grinding the faces of labor；
And a bitter enemy of democracy。
And I say to you； Spoon River；
And to you； O republic；
Beware of the man who rises to power
From one suspender。
The Unknown
YE aspiring ones； listen to the story of the unknown
Who lies here with no stone to mark the place。
As a boy reckless and wanton；
Wandering with gun in hand through the forest
Near the mansion of Aaron Hatfield；
I shot a hawk perched on the top
Of a dead tree。 He fell with guttural cry
At my feet； his wing broken。
Then I put him in a cage
Where he lived many days cawing angrily at me
When I offered him food。
Daily I search the realms of Hades
For the soul of the hawk；
That I may offer him the friendship
Of one whom life wounded and caged。
Alexander Throckmorton
IN youth my wings were strong and tireless；
But I did not know the mountains。
In age I knew the mountains
But my weary wings could not follow my vision
Genius is wisdom and youth。
Jonathan Swift Somers （Author of the Spooniad）
AFTER you have enriched your soul
To the highest point；
With books； thought； suffering；
The understanding of many personalities；
The power to interpret glances； silences；
The pauses in momentous transformations；
The genius of divination and prophecy；
So that you feel able at times to hold the world
In the hollow of your hand；
Then； if； by the crowding of so many powers
Into the compass of your soul；
Your soul takes fire；
And in the conflagration of your soul
The evil of the world is lighted up and made clear
Be thankful if in that hour of supreme vision
Life does not fiddle。
Widow McFarlane
I WAS the Widow McFarlane；
Weaver of carpets for all the village。
And I pity you still at the loom of life；
Y