Friday, October 7, 2011

Poetry Friday: At A Window


Give me hunger, 
O you gods that sit and give 
The world its orders. 
Give me hunger, pain and want, 
Shut me out with shame and failure
From your doors of gold and fame, 
Give me your shabbiest, weariest hunger! 

But leave me a little love, 
A voice to speak to me in the day end, 
A hand to touch me in the dark room
Breaking the long loneliness. 
In the dusk of day-shapes 
Blurring the sunset, 
One little wandering, western star 
Thrust out from the changing shores of shadow.
Let me go to the window, 
Watch there the day-shapes of dusk 
And wait and know the coming 
Of a little love.

-- Carl Sandburg

Above: Edward Hopper, Room in Brooklyn, 1932.

More Poetry Friday at Great Kid Books.

7 comments:

maria horvath said...

With love, even a litte love, you can "endure all things," as Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians.

Pentimento said...

Yes, so true. I wonder if this is where Dorothy Day got the title for her autobiography, The Long Loneliness.

Steven Withrow said...

Lately I've read some harsh words against Carl Sandburg, but in my estimation, he's one of America's best poets. Thanks for sharing!

Andromeda Jazmon said...

*gasp* this one really grabs me!

Rodak said...

Mr. Sandburg enhances my growing understanding that it's all out of balance...

Augustine said...

Perhaps you know this book of poems: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hoppers-Women/140265492682977

Pentimento said...

The book looks beautiful. Thanks for the link, Augustine.