1 May 2007 | Vol. 7, No. 1
Water Lilies
If you have forgotten water lilies floating
On a dark lake among mountains in the afternoon shade,
If you have forgotten their wet, sleepy fragrance,
Then you can return and not be afraid.
But if you remember, then turn away forever
To the plains and the prairies where pools are far apart,
There you will not come at dusk on closing water lilies,
And the shadow of mountains will not fall on your heart.
About the author:
1884-1933. Sara Teasdale won the Columbia University Poetry Society prize in 1918 for Love Songs, which also won the annual prize of the Poetry Society of America. Although the popularity of her work declined considerably in the second half of the 20th century, it has received renewed interest in recent years. Learn more about the life and work of Sara Teasdale at Wikipedia.
For further reading:
See the complete list of work by Sara Teasdale at 42opus. Browse the contents of 42opus Vol. 7, No. 1, where "Water Lilies" ran on May 1, 2007. List other work with these same labels: poetry, classic, rhyme.
