1 br br She loves me-loves me not. br My hands I pick br and having broken my fingers br fling away. br So the first daisy-heads br one happens to flick br are plucked, br and guessing, br scattered into May. br Let a cut and shave br reveal my grey hairs. br Let the silver of the years br ring out endlessly ! br Shameful common sense - br I hope, I swear - br Will never come br to me. br br 2 br br It's already two. br No doubt, you've gone to sleep. br In the night br The Milky Way br with silver filigrees. br I don't hurry, br and there is no point in me br waking and disturbing you br with express telegrams. br br 3 br br The sea goes to weep. br The sea goes to sleep. br As they say, br the incident has petered out. br The love boat of life br has crashed on philistine reefs br You and I br are quits. br No need to reiterate br mutual injuries, br troubles br and griefs. br br 4 br br D'you see, br In the world what a quiet sleeps. br Night tributes the sky br with silver constellations. br In such an hour as this, br one rises and speaks br to eras, br history, br and world creation. br br 5 br br I know the power of words, I know words' tocsin. br They're not the kind applauded by the boxes. br From words like these coffins burst from the earth br and on their own four oaken legs stride forth. br It happens they reject you, unpublished, unprinted. br But saddle-girths tightening words gallop ahead. br See how the centuries ring and trains crawl br to lick poetry's calloused hands. br I know the power of words. Seeming trifles that fall br like petals beneath the heel-taps of dance. br But man with his soul, his lips, his bones.