Gloucester Moors
July 6, 2023A Grey Day
July 6, 2023Faded pictures
NLY two patient eyes to stare
Out of the canvas. All the rest–
The warm green gown, the small hands pressed
Light in the lap, the braided hair
That must have made the sweet low brow
So earnest, centuries ago,
When some one saw it change and glow–
All faded! Just the eyes burn now.
I dare say people pass and pass
Before the blistered little frame,
And dingy work without a name
Stuck in behind its square of glass.
But I, well, I left Raphael
Just to come drink these eyes of hers,
To think away the stains and blurs
And make all new again and well.
Only, for tears my head will bow,
Because there on my heart’s last wall,
Scarce one tint left to tell it all,
A picture keeps its eyes, somehow.
William Vaughn Moody
William Vaughn Moody (1869-1910) was an American poet and playwright, known for his works that often dealt with themes of tragedy and despair. He was a professor at the University of Chicago, and his work was highly influential in shaping the Modernist literary movement. Some of his most famous works include "The Fire-Bringer", "The Great Divide", and "The Masque of Judgment". Moody died at a young age, but his work continued to be celebrated in the years following his death.