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I WAS the Widow McFarlane；
Weaver of carpets for all the village。
And I pity you still at the loom of life；
You who are singing to the shuttle
And lovingly watching the work of your hands；
If you reach the day of hate； of terrible truth。
For the cloth of life is woven； you know；
To a pattern hidden under the loom
A pattern you never see！
And you weave high…hearted； singing； singing；
You guard the threads of love and friendship
For noble figures in gold and purple。
And long after other eyes can see
You have woven a moon…white strip of cloth；
You laugh in your strength； for Hope overlays it
With shapes of love and beauty。
The loom stops short！
The pattern's out
You're alone in the room！
You have woven a shroud
And hate of it lays you in it。
Carl Hamblin
THE press of the Spoon River Clarion was wrecked；
And I was tarred and feathered；
For publishing this on the day the
Anarchists were hanged in Chicago：
〃l saw a beautiful woman with bandaged eyes
Standing on the steps of a marble temple。
Great multitudes passed in front of her；
Lifting their faces to her imploringly。
In her left hand she held a sword。
She was brandishing the sword；
Sometimes striking a child； again a laborer；
Again a slinking woman； again a lunatic。
In her right hand she held a scale；
Into the scale pieces of gold were tossed
By those who dodged the strokes of the sword。
A man in a black gown read from a manuscript：
〃She is no respecter of persons。〃
Then a youth wearing a red cap
Leaped to her side and snatched away the bandage。
And lo； the lashes had been eaten away
From the oozy eye…lids；
The eye…balls were seared with a milky mucus；
The madness of a dying soul
Was written on her face
But the multitude saw why she wore the bandage。〃
Editor Whedon
To be able to see every side of every question；
To be on every side； to be everything； to be nothing long；
To pervert truth； to ride it for a purpose；
To use great feelings and passions of the human family
For base designs； for cunning ends；
To wear a mask like the Greek actors
Your eight…page paper behind which you huddle；
Bawling through the megaphone of big type：
〃This is I； the giant。〃
Thereby also living the life of a sneak…thief；
Poisoned with the anonymous words
Of your clandestine soul。
To scratch dirt over scandal for money；
And exhume it to the winds for revenge；
Or to sell papers；
Crushing reputations； or bodies； if need be；
To win at any cost； save your own life。
To glory in demoniac power； ditching civilization；
As a paranoiac boy puts a log on the track
And derails the express train。
To be an editor； as I was。
Then to lie here close by the river over the place
Where the sewage flows from the village；
And the empty cans and garbage are dumped；
And abortions are hidden。
Eugene Carman
RHODES； slave！ Selling shoes and gingham；
Flour and bacon； overalls； clothing； all day long
For fourteen hours a day for three hundred and thirteen days
For more than twenty years。
Saying 〃Yes'm〃 and 〃Yes； sir〃； and 〃Thank you〃
A thousand times a day； and all for fifty dollars a month。
Living in this stinking room in the rattle…trap 〃Commercial。〃
And compelled to go to Sunday School； and to listen
To the Rev。 Abner Peet one hundred and four times a year
For more than an hour at a time；
Because Thomas Rhodes ran the church
As well as the store and the bank。
So while I was tying my neck…tie that morning
I suddenly saw myself in the glass：
My hair all gray； my face like a sodden pie。
So I cursed and cursed： You damned old thing
You cowardly dog！ You rotten pauper！
You Rhodes' slave！ Till Roger Baughman
Thought I was having a fight with some one；
And looked through the transom just in time
To see me fall on the floor in a heap
From a broken vein in my head。
Clarence Fawcett
THE sudden death of Eugene Carman
Put me in line to be promoted to fifty dollars a month；
And I told my wife and children that night。
But it didn't come； and so I thought
Old Rhodes suspected me of stealing
The blankets I took and sold on the side
For money to pay a doctor's bill for my little girl。
Then like a bolt old Rhodes accused me；
And promised me mercy for my family's sake
If I confessed； and so I confessed；
And begged him to keep it out of the papers；
And I asked the editors； too。
That night at home the constable took me
And every paper； except the Clarion；
Wrote me up as a thief
Because old Rhodes was an advertiser
And wanted to make an example of me。
Oh！ well； you know how the children cried；
And how my wife pitied and hated me；
And how I came to lie here。
W。 Lloyd Garrison Standard
VEGETARIAN； nonresistant； free…thinker； in ethics a Christian；
Orator apt at the rhine…stone rhythm of Ingersoll。
Carnivorous； avenger； believer and pagan。
Continent； promiscuous； changeable； treacherous； vain；
Proud； with the pride that makes struggle a thing for laughter；
With heart cored out by the worm of theatric despair。
Wearing the coat of indifference to hide the shame of defeat；
I； child of the abolitionist idealism
A sort of Brand in a birth of half…and…half。
What other thing could happen when I defended
The patriot scamps who burned the court house
That Spoon River might have a new one
Than plead them guilty？
When Kinsey Keene drove through
The cardboard mask of my life with a spear of light；
What could I do but slink away； like the beast of myself
Which I raised from a whelp； to a corner and growl？
The pyramid of my life was nought but a dune；
Barren and formless； spoiled at last by the storm。
Professor Newcomer
EVERYONE laughed at Col。 Prichard
For buying an engine so powerful
That it wrecked itself； and wrecked the grinder
He ran it with。
But here is a joke of cosmic size：
The urge of nature that made a man
Evolve from his brain a spiritual life
Oh miracle of the world！
The very same brain with which the ape and wolf
Get food and shelter and procreate themselves。
Nature has made man do this；
In a world where she gives him nothing to do
After all （though the strength of his soul goes round
In a futile waste of power。
To gear itself to the mills of the gods）
But get food and shelter and procreate himself！
Ralph Rhodes
ALL they said was true：
I wrecked my father's bank with my loans
To dabble in wheat； but this was true
I was buying wheat for him as well；
Who couldn't margin the deal in his name
Because of his church relationship。
And while George Reece was serving his term
I chased the will…o…the…wisp of women
And the mockery of wine in New York。
It's deathly to sicken of wine and women
When nothing else is left in life。
But suppose your head is gray； and bowed
On a table covered with acrid stubs
Of cigarettes and empty glasses；
And a knock is heard； and you know it's the knock
So long drowned out by popping corks
And the pea…cock screams of demireps
And you look up； and there's your Theft；
Who waited until your head was gray；
And your heart skipped beats to say to you：
The game is ended。 I've called for you；
Go out on Broadway and be run over；
They'll ship you back to Spoon River。
Mickey M'Grew
IT was just like everything else in life：
Something outside