William Carlos Williams

Here you will find the Poem Postlude of poet William Carlos Williams

Postlude

Now that I have cooled to you 
Let there be gold of tarnished masonry, 
Temples soothed by the sun to ruin 
That sleep utterly. 
Give me hand for the dances, 
Ripples at Philae, in and out, 
And lips, my Lesbian, 
Wall flowers that once were flame. 

Your hair is my Carthage 
And my arms the bow, 
And our words arrows 
To shoot the stars 
Who from that misty sea 
Swarm to destroy us. 

But you there beside me? 
Oh, how shall I defy you, 
Who wound me in the night 
With breasts shining 
Like Venus and like Mars? 
The night that is shouting Jason 
When the loud eaves rattle 
As with waves above me 
Blue at the prow of my desire.