The flowerless weeds along the tangled hedge Listen and wait. The willow-bushes by the water's edge Listen and wait. Under the earth I feel the roots of trees Listening, waiting. Oh Earth, oh Sky, oh secret hope of these! Is it worth waiting? So sinks my heart's faint whisper hopelessly, Sinks and is gone; While the round earth sweeps weeds and willows and me Carelessly on; And morning becomes noon, noon becomes night In the same doubt. No answer, not a word; till one by one The stars come out. And then -- but not from them, for they too wait, Ah, they wait too, the stars! -- but from the night, The night itself, oldest of all the gods, The answer! And all the flowerless weeds and the willows and I Listen -- hear nothing -- yet are satisfied. Portions of that Night we know ourselves to be; Children of the oldest of all the gods are we, And from ourselves we hide our own hearts' mystery! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...HER EYES TWIN POOLS by JAMES WELDON JOHNSON NEBUCHADNEZZAR: OR EATING GRASS by EDGAR LEE MASTERS SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY: BARNEY HAINSFEATHER by EDGAR LEE MASTERS RAHEL TO VARNHAGEN by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON |