I was over at one of my good friends' houses on Saturday, and she'd been reading over a poetry book I made her two years ago. For some months now I've been trying to remember a musical setting I wrote, a setting of one of the poems that was in this book. In seeing the words the whole thing came back to me and I couldn't believe I'd forgotten it; it's one of my favourite poems, has been for years now, but it had gone completely out of my head. I'm so glad to have it back. If you don't know it, you should...
I thought I was so tough,
But gentled at your hands,
Cannot be quick enough
To fly for you and show
That when I go I go
At your commands.
Even in flight above
I am no longer free:
You seeled me with your love,
I am blind to other birds;
The habit of your words
Has hooded me.
As formerly, I wheel
I hover and I twist,
But only want the feel,
In my possessive thought,
Of catcher and of caught
Upon your wrist.
You but half-civilize,
Taming me in this way.
Through having only eyes
For you I fear to lose,
I lose to keep, and choose
Tamer as prey.
I can swear blind that this is unrelated and I'm sure you still won't believe me, but that's the way life goes and so long as you don't tell me you don't believe me, I'll stay smiling.
E.
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