On Reading Omar Khayyam
July 6, 2023Michaelangelo
July 6, 2023My Lady in Her White Silk Shawl
My lady in her white silk shawl
Is like a lily dim,
Within the twilight of the room
Enthroned and kind and prim.
My lady! Pale gold is her hair.
Until she smiles her face
Is pale with far Hellenic moods,
With thoughts that find no place
In our harsh village of the West
Wherein she lives of late,
She’s distant as far-hidden stars,
And cold — (almost!) — as fate.
But when she smiles she’s here again
Rosy with comrade-cheer,
Puritan Bacchante made
To laugh around the year.
The merry gentle moon herself,
Heart-stirring too, like her,
Wakening wild and innocent love
In every worshipper.
Vachel Lindsay
Vachel Lindsay (1879-1931) was an American poet who often performed his work in public, accompanied by music or visual aids. He was known for his use of vernacular language and his interest in social and political issues. Some of his best-known works include "The Congo" and "General William Booth Enters into Heaven."