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Next day he sat so listless； almost cold
So strangely changed； wondering why I wept；
Till a kind of sick despair and voluptuous madness
Seized us to make the pact of death。
A stalk of the earth…sphere；
Frail as star…light；
Waiting to be drawn once again Into creation's stream。
But next time to be given birth
Gazed at by Raphael and St。 Francis
Sometimes as they pass。
For I am their little brother；
To be known clearly face to face
Through a cycle of birth hereafter run。
You may know the seed and the soil；
You may feel the cold rain fall；
But only the earthsphere； only heaven
Knows the secret of the seed
In the nuptial chamber under the soil。
Throw me into the stream again；
Give me another trial
Save me； Shelley！
Anne Rutledge
OUT of me unworthy and unknown
The vibrations of deathless music；
〃With malice toward none； with charity for all。'；
Out of me the forgiveness of millions toward millions；
And the beneficent face of a nation
Shining with justice and truth。
I am Anne Rutledge who sleep beneath these weeds；
Beloved in life of Abraham Lincoln；
Wedded to him； not through union； But through separation。
Bloom forever； O Republic；
From the dust of my bosom！
Hamlet Micure
IN a lingering fever many visions come to you：
I was in the little house again
With its great yard of clover
Running down to the board…fence；
Shadowed by the oak tree；
Where we children had our swing。
Yet the little house was a manor hall
Set in a lawn； and by the lawn was the sea。
I was in the room where little Paul
Strangled from diphtheria；
But yet it was not this room
It was a sunny verandah enclosed
With mullioned windows
And in a chair sat a man in a dark cloak
With a face like Euripides。
He had come to visit me； or I had gone to visit him I could not tell。
We could hear the beat of the sea； the clover nodded
Under a summer wind； and little Paul came
With clover blossoms to the window and smiled。
Then I said： 〃What is 〃divine despair〃 Alfred？〃
〃Have you read OTears； Idle Tears'？〃 he asked。
〃Yes； but you do not there express divine despair。〃
〃My poor friend；〃 he answered； 〃that was why the despair
Was divine。〃
Mabel Osborne
YOUR red blossoms amid green leaves
Are drooping； beautiful geranium！
But you do not ask for water。
You cannot speak！
You do not need to speak
Everyone knows that you are dying of thirst；
Yet they do not bring water！
They pass on； saying：
〃The geranium wants water。〃
And I； who had happiness to share
And longed to share your happiness；
I who loved you； Spoon River；
And craved your love；
Withered before your eyes； Spoon River
Thirsting； thirsting；
Voiceless from chasteness of soul to ask you for love；
You who knew and saw me perish before you；
Like this geranium which someone has planted over me；
And left to die。
William H。 Herndon
THERE by the window in the old house
Perched on the bluff； overlooking miles of valley；
My days of labor closed； sitting out life's decline；
Day by day did I look in my memory；
As one who gazes in an enchantress' crystal globe；
And I saw the figures of the past
As if in a pageant glassed by a shining dream；
Move through the incredible sphere of time。
And I saw a man arise from the soil like a fabled giant
And throw himself over a deathless destiny；
Master of great armies； head of the republic；
Bringing together into a dithyramb of recreative song
The epic hopes of a people；
At the same time Vulcan of sovereign fires；
Where imperishable shields and swords were beaten out
From spirits tempered in heaven。
Look in the crystal！
See how he hastens on
To the place where his path comes up to the path
Of a child of Plutarch and Shakespeare。
O Lincoln； actor indeed； playing well your part
And Booth； who strode in a mimic play within the play；
Often and often I saw you；
As the cawing crows winged their way to the wood
Over my housetop at solemn sunsets；
There by my window；
Alone。
Rutherford McDowell
THEY brought me ambrotypes
Of the old pioneers to enlarge。
And sometimes one sat for me
Some one who was in being
When giant hands from the womb of the world
Tore the republic。
What was it in their eyes？
For I could never fathom
That mystical pathos of drooped eyelids；
And the serene sorrow of their eyes。
It was like a pool of water；
Amid oak trees at the edge of a forest；
Where the leaves fall；
As you hear the crow of a cock
From a faroff farm house； seen near the hills
Where the third generation lives； and the strong men
And the strong women are gone and forgotten。
And these grandchildren and great grand…children
Of the pioneers！
Truly did my camera record their faces； too；
With so much of the old strength gone；
And the old faith gone；
And the old mastery of life gone；
And the old courage gone；
Which labors and loves and suffers and sings
Under the sun！
Hannah Armstrong
I WROTE him a letter asking him for old times； sake
To discharge my sick boy from the army；
But maybe he couldn't read it。
Then I went to town and had James Garber；
Who wrote beautifully； write him a letter。
But maybe that was lost in the mails。
So I traveled all the way to Washington。
I was more than an hour finding the White House。
And when I found it they turned me away；
Hiding their smiles。
Then I thought： 〃Oh； well； he ain't the same as when I boarded him
And he and my husband worked together
And all of us called him Abe； there in Menard。〃
As a last attempt I turned to a guard and said：
〃Please say it's old Aunt Hannah Armstrong
From Illinois； come to see him about her sick boy
In the army。〃
Well； just in a moment they let me in！
And when he saw me he broke in a laugh；
And dropped his business as president；
And wrote in his own hand Doug's discharge；
Talking the while of the early days；
And telling stories。
Lucinda Matlock
I WENT to the dances at Chandlerville；
And played snap…out at Winchester。
One time we changed partners；
Driving home in the moonlight of middle June；
And then I found Davis。
We were married and lived together for seventy years；
Enjoying； working； raising the twelve children；
Eight of whom we lost
Ere I had reached the age of sixty。
I spun；
I wove；
I kept the house；
I nursed the sick；
I made the garden； and for holiday
Rambled over the fields where sang the larks；
And by Spoon River gathering many a shell；
And many a flower and medicinal weed
Shouting to the wooded hills； singing to the green valleys。
At ninetysix I had lived enough； that is all；
And passed to a sweet repose。
What is this I hear of sorrow and weariness；
Anger； discontent and drooping hopes？
Degenerate sons and daughters；
Life is too strong for you
It takes life to love Life。
Davis Matlock
SUPPOSE it is nothing but the hive：
That there are drones and workers
And queens； and nothing but storing honey
（Material things as well as culture and wisdom）
For the next generation； this generation never living；
Except as it swarms in the sun…light of youth；
Strengthening its wings on what has been gathered；
And tasting； on the way to the hive
From the clover field； the delicate spoil。
Suppose all this； and suppose the truth：
That the nature of man is greater
Than na