Category e. e. Cummings

Orientale II

  my lovethy hair is one kingdom   the king whereof is darknessthy forehead is a flight of flowers they head is a quick forest   filled with sleeping birdsthy breasts are swarms of white bees   upon the bough of thy bodythy…

Orientale V

  lean candles hunger inthe silence abrown godsmiles between green twittering smokes          from broken eyesa soundof strangling breasts and bestialgrovelling hands rasps the purpledark-nessa worshipperprostrate within twitching shadowlolls sobbing with lust

Orientale I

  i spoke to theewith a smile and thou didst notanswerthy mouth is asa chord of crimson music                   Come hitherO thou,is life not a smile? i spoke to thee witha song and…

Chansons Innocentes II

  hist           whistlittle ghostthingstip-toetwinkle-toe little twitchywitches and tinglinggoblinshob-a-nob         hob-a-nob little hoppy happytoad in tweedstweedslittle itchy mousies with scuttlingeyes        rustle and run        andhidehidehidewhisk whisk look out for the…

Chansons Innocentes I

  in Just-spring     when the world is mud-luscious the littlelame balloonman whistles         far         and wee and eddieandbill comerunning from marbles andpiracies and it’sspring when the world is puddle-wonderful the queerold balloonman whistlesfar   …

Puella Mea

Harun Omar and Master Hafiz keep your dead beautiful ladies. Mine is a little lovelier than any of your ladies were. In her perfectest array my lady,moving in the day, is a little stranger thing than crisp Sheba with her…

Tulips and Chimneys — Song IX

when god lets my body be From each brave eye shall sprout a tree fruit that dangles therefrom the purpled world will dance upon Between my lips which did sing a rose shall beget the spring that maidens whom passion…

Tulips and Chimneys — Song VII

Doll’s boy ’s asleep under a stile he sees eight and twenty ladies in a line the first lady says to nine ladies his lips drink water but his heart drinks wine the tenth lady says to nine ladies they…

Tulips and Chimneys — Song V

All in green went my love riding on a great horse of gold into the silver dawn. four lean hounds crouched low and smiling the merry deer ran before. Fleeter be they than dappled dreams the swift sweet deer the…