Saturday, August 7, 2010



I came across this photo of E.E. Cummings and Marion Morehouse several years ago and saved it. Not that it matters, but Wikipedia says it's not clear if they ever legally married but they lived together in a common law marriage for about 30 years until his death in 1962. I don't know why, but I think it's one of the saddest photos I've ever seen. He's looking across the table at her with bemused resignation, and she appears almost distraught in posture and can't bear to look him in the eye.

More than likely what's really going on is he's already decided what he wants to order and she's still looking down reading the menu and trying to decide between the chef salad and the burger with fries.

Maybe after dessert he wrote this on a napkin. It could've happened.

i have found what you are like by E. E. Cummings

i have found what you are like
the rain,
(Who feathers frightened fields
with the superior dust-of-sleep. wields

easily the pale club of the wind
and swirled justly souls of flower strike

the air in utterable coolness

deeds of green thrilling light
with thinned

newfragile yellows

lurch and.press

-in the woods
which
stutter
and

sing

And the coolness of your smile is
stirringofbirds between my arms;but
i should rather than anything
have(almost when hugeness will shut
quietly)almost,
your kiss

2 comments:

el chupacabra said...

First ee cummings poem I've ever read- pretty cool.

YM said...

I won't lie and say I understand all of his poems, Chup, but I love his poetry.