Georgian poetry, 1920-22

English poetry -- 20th century
Such as Groceries  And round she wheels, hot on the track
and Millinery,     Of Giles the grocer, and from there
                   To Emilie the milliner,
                   There to be tempted by the sight
                   Of hats and blouses fiercely bright.
                   (O guard Miss Thompson, Powers that Be,
                   From Crudeness and Vulgarity.)


And other          Still on from shop to shop she goes
Allurements        With sharp bird's-eye, enquiring nose,
                   Prying and peering, entering some,
                   Oblivious of the thought of home.
                   The town brimmed up with deep-blue haze,
                   But still she stayed to flit and gaze,
                   Her eyes ablur with rapturous sights,
                   Her small soul full of small delights,
                   Empty her purse, her basket filled.


But at length      The traffic in the town was stilled.
is Convinced       The clock struck six. Men thronged the inns.
of Indiscretion.   Dear, dear, she should be home long since.



And Returns        Then as she climbed the misty downs
Home.              The lamps were lighted in the town's
                   Small streets. She saw them star by star
                   Multiplying from afar;
                   Till, mapped beneath her, she could trace
                   Each street, and the wide square market-place
                   Sunk deeper and deeper as she went
                   Higher up the steep ascent.
                   And all that soul-uplifting stir
                   Step by step fell back from her,
                   The glory gone, the blossoming
                   Shrivelled, and she, a small, frail thing,
                   Carrying her laden basket. Till
                   Darkness and silence of the hill
                   Received her in their restful care
                   And stars came dropping through the air.

                   But loudly, sweetly sang the slippers
                   In the basket with the kippers;
                   And loud and sweet the answering thrills
                   From her lone heart on the hills.





       *       *       *       *       *





EDMUND BLUNDEN


THE POOR MAN'S PIG

Already fallen plum-bloom stars the green
  And apple-boughs as knarred as old toads' backs
Wear their small roses ere a rose is seen;
  The building thrush watches old Job who stacks
The bright-peeled osiers on the sunny fence,
  The pent sow grunts to hear him stumping by,
And tries to push the bolt and scamper thence,
  But her ringed snout still keeps her to the sty.

Then out he lets her run; away she snorts
  In bundling gallop for the cottage door,
With hungry hubbub begging crusts and orts,
  Then like the whirlwind bumping round once more;
Nuzzling the dog, making the pullets run,
  And sulky as a child when her play's done.



ALMSWOMEN
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Georgian poetry, 1920-22

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