Correspondence, Jay MacPherson

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MSS 6-1_1_A_96_013
Mr. to/i 1'"here Venus like a honey-bee
Rucks hex bruised flower,
Time wears the wall, e wasting sea
Grudges both sweat snd sour.In other meeflows, blanched and vide
ThF ageless stars display5ros kM Psyche, side by side,Tlntrpnced and turned eway.Above the snovs unworn by Heaven's fire
Set me your class to gather you entire.
Rest in me perfect, be my sight, and be
Beauty to oleese you when you look at me.As Sarth ail simple in God'3 bosom lay,
The gre*t heart feltered; and now cast away
Rhe builds In error worlds on worlds, her car.
Signing end smoothing in tha awkward air,The sbyss she builds and wanders is tha same,
Death, not bo deep as love fro™ which it came
But nearly: so, dear love, it comes to pass
Love makes me not your body but your glass.I cannot claim I rise to v-een,
But oh, the burden of my day
Would make en ''ngel turn away:
I'd rather be in Bed asleep.The hurt you gave I inward keep.
Hard Love J remembering whose it is.
But rest both harm and heeling his,
I'd rather be in bed asleep.Lord, take no care my soul to keep,
For I don't need it when I sleep;
And though the host of heaven ween,
I'd rather be in bed esleeo.
MSS 6-1_1_A_96_014
Mr. W/*1A ser-er.t watches in -/our eyes
And bristles on /our cro"-n:
I dare not wound the mortal skies
And pluck thp creature down.The vers Of Venus end of Vers
"cer-ler the worlds np hi^h:
The preet man stretched ui-on the stars
Endures without a sigh.The wounds of perth will not be dried
Ror hepvsn's rest befin
Until you op^n that sore side
And let me creep back in.Touching and holflirif, s-ppking as we do,
Confirms, not heals, the gap that keens us H
Unless our angel, "runr from what's so dont
Tliacerns, no gap of two, but wound of one.A Mermaid's GrsvYou who would love's venders see.Pity my extremity.He, by envy moved to intendI should make a proper end,pmote the waters till they boiled.Rent my person neatly ceiled.Then, of the amusement tiring,Cast me or. ffreen ground exiirinfi.New unfeelinf earth's my bed,And round the cockle borders treadChildren, ^infing as they go;"Here lies the cold mernaid, elive, slive-oh"
MSS 6-1_1_A_96_015
0 DarknessY>ers twenty-five I was here.
And longer mr dear,
Before we thought of vou.Last un or en tin" *-ord.Say all now is done.Let the er^-tions sink do»n,And us come to drownSound your sun "ftar sun.What Te contins-ent worlds ?
Two that mav toueh.
If they dare, must they break '
Nothinr so much.Mercy, that comprehends
All worlds not rock.
Thickens their alar>ierit,
frpins out th" --hock,^ru^trates with blart intent
Th»t force that will
Whole "in rnottipr'" breechOnce brask and s-ill.A Passible .TenTha ptraam in which a\l r-<I" issued from dod'F side
And nwd<- a rushing river.
His wound is cut so vide.Faiti-ful and felse toa-athi
Shudder in flood or flame
From e rock--teedfapt .Tea'
This mortal tremor cama.
MSS 6-1_1_A_96_016
!>],.»/«Ophelia on the threshold of the seasonStands doubting, fears, lets fallGreen love, green Borrow, shaken without reeson:Poor maiden, not the girl for fall.11Little sisters, brothers, toClean into a world of snow.■'■inter builds his wells and towersOn them, ard wreathes with secret flowers.Mo passion breaks their age of iee,Nor stains the white of sacrifice.iiiaftegall, 'donis red,
Azazel's malefic head,
Hound us white as Abel lie,
Griefs and crueltlee bled dry.
All the winter's rest receives
But where lik<= dirtv Jelly heaves
One no season's chain can free,
The stranrling Adam ir the see.A World of :"ordsAssumed a verbal universe
flolds apnrt from Adam's curse,
.And in that Cit"'s shelter we
Outlast this vessel end this sea.
To stand unmoved lik« stars above
That b:irn, but not for ^rlef or love,
Heit time let the ahaiin^ Spirit
Build in words, and we inherit.But what should flesh *md rdr.ine' phostThat nearest are divided most.Do in an imports 1 dwalline ?And what are vords, if not for telllnp 'Then let them shudder in the seeAnd "uake in fires, as do we:So shall our nslaces decay.The stammerinr stream bear nil away,Heaven's (rate stand guarded evrmore,\nd via be vexed as heretofore.
MSS 6-1_1_A_96_017
n<»t/sv)Time I was a bird ir the airAnfl yon my following falconer,kn6 time P/rr-in n ffTiow doeWhere you through thorn" did after goAnd time the last a fish In th« aea.Where wearied out rou fished for me.Bow earth and see pr« flpd ewev
And air a.ff ~>ras us no more stay,
Petlant through ^11 thinps to re-uire
Love, will you find me in the fire ?Our v'ords from us are carrlei
And into silence ferriad
As if they fled our day;
But they with us shall stayV'hers Alph the sacred river
Pises at 0-mega ,'
And in his arma the lost
From anv, apfl this, coest.The Gates of !Old man and child, I know yourTo hold apfi not let fall,Since first the tem-ast forcedThis mort=l boat vour erk,An* finrpr sat op s-innin^ on t!To b=ar you lika p tree,VJes it beforeThe sea, the ship, thp heavens'We met en ennrel st the gates of'■"ho went and cast us thence ?The Limits in FireStill stander in a tremblinc flame.
Yon let me touch and take no harm:
'"ith bodies plorified itipv claim
Th»t you are di-mond, *nd still warm.The jurt ara so: so era not such
As give their nrecio^s selves entire
To cold dull rook, ctiff under touch.
But tremble in a steady fire.
MSS 6-1_1_A_96_018
2 West 67th St.
Hew York 23, ■«*«
Haroh 23. 1957Dear Jay,The poena are subtly oonnootod— and
I had to hesitate a TTit— I liked so many,
but finally had to use SHE WOODS HO LCOHB.But I oouldn'fc displace THE SWAN.
Diaplaeed FEKDOTABTUTr, instoad. So your
grow now Is: IBS SWAN, SHE WOODS HO KORE,
and KISEERKAN. All right?I'll vrrlte to Oxford University ANSI
(have nono otliurs by othor poets under their
imprint aa veil) for pomisnion for IBS SV.'AN
and FIBHKHHAH. I (MUM the proofs you sent.BsjBflM WO tinos for all this. As
soon as OUP has SEE BOAYKAN ready, I'll
orde" for.Tours,
MSS 6-1_1_A_96_019
$3$ Wast 168 th Stroefc
Hew York 32, >•¥•NiHWrf 20, I9i>9Dear Jay,I erclose rvj chock for $£i in payment of
the JPWprlsting of youJP "The Woods T?o More'' in the
'.: : .'\ E R 03? CAITADIM! TORSI- wita may thanksfor your letting no uco it. Your other two I paid
through Mac~.il! an.I roc? you last in the "Vatorloo r-tsviow"
and look for your appearances, .-ill boat regards,Tours,enc. Ralph Quatafcon

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