The Flower-Fed Buffaloes
July 6, 2023The Fairy Bridal-Hymn
July 6, 2023The Flower of Mending
(To Eudora, after I had had certain dire adventures.)
When Dragon-fly would fix his wings,
When Snail would patch his house,
When moths have marred the overcoat
Of tender Mister Mouse,
The pretty creatures go with haste
To the sunlit blue-grass hills
Where the Flower of Mending yields the wax
And webs to help their ills.
The hour the coats are waxed and webbed
They fall into a dream,
And when they wake the ragged robes
Are joined without a seam.
My heart is but a dragon-fly,
My heart is but a mouse,
My heart is but a haughty snail
In a little stony house.
Your hand was honey-comb to heal,
Your voice a web to bind.
You were a Mending Flower to me
To cure my heart and mind.
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."