Miriam Tazewell

When Miriam Tazewell heard the tempest bursting   

And his wrathy whips across the sky drawn crackling   

She stuffed her ears for fright like a young thing   

And with heart full of the flowers took to weeping.

But the earth shook dry his old back in good season,

He had weathered storms that drenched him deep as this one,   

And the sun, Miriam, ascended to his dominion,

The storm was withered against his empyrean.

After the storm she went forth with skirts kilted   

To see in the hot sun her lawn deflowered,   

Her tulip, iris, peony strung and pelted,

Pots of geranium spilled and the stalks naked.

The spring transpired in that year with no flowers   

But the regular stars went busily on their courses,   

Suppers and cards were calendared, and some bridals,   

And the birds demurely sang in the bitten poplars.

To Miriam Tazewell the whole world was villain,   

The principle of the beast was low and masculine,   

And not to unstop her own storm and be maudlin,   

For weeks she went untidy, she went sullen.