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Refusing medical aid。
Yee Bow
THEY got me into the Sunday…school
In Spoon River And tried to get me to drop
Confucius for Jesus。 I could have been no worse off
If I had tried to get them to drop Jesus for Confucius。
For； without any warning； as if it were a prank；
And sneaking up behind me； Harry Wiley；
The minister's son； caved my ribs into my lungs；
With a blow of his fist。
Now I shall never sleep with my ancestors in Pekin；
And no children shall worship at my grave。
Washington McNeely
RICH； honored by my fellow citizens；
The father of many children； born of a noble mother；
All raised there
In the great mansionhouse； at the edge of town。
Note the cedar tree on the lawn！
I sent all the boys to Ann Arbor； all of the girls to Rockford；
The while my life went on； getting more riches and honors
Resting under my cedar tree at evening。
The years went on。 I sent the girls to Europe；
I dowered them when married。
I gave the boys money to start in business。
They were strong children； promising as apples
Before the bitten places show。
But John fled the country in disgrace。
Jenny died in child…birth
I sat under my cedar tree。
Harry killed himself after a debauch； Susan was divorced
I sat under my cedar tree。 Paul was invalided from over study；
Mary became a recluse at home for love of a man
I sat under my cedar tree。
All were gone； or broken…winged or devoured by life
I sat under my cedar tree。
My mate； the mother of them； was taken
I sat under my cedar tree；
Till ninety years were tolled。
O maternal Earth； which rocks the fallen leaf to sleep。
Mary McNeely
PASSER…BY；
To love is to find your own soul
Through the soul of the beloved one。
When the beloved one withdraws itself from your soul
Then you have lost your soul。
It is written： 〃l have a friend；
But my sorrow has no friend。〃
Hence my long years of solitude at the home of my father；
Trying to get myself back；
And to turn my sorrow into a supremer self。
But there was my father with his sorrows；
Sitting under the cedar tree；
A picture that sank into my heart at last
Bringing infinite repose。
Oh； ye souls who have made life
Fragrant and white as tube roses
From earth's dark soil；
Eternal peace！
Daniel M'Cumber
WHEN I went to the city； Mary McNeely；
I meant to return for you； yes I did。
But Laura； my landlady's daughter；
Stole into my life somehow； and won me away。
Then after some years whom should I meet
But Georgine Miner from Nilesa sprout
Of the free love； Fourierist gardens that flourished
Before the war all over Ohio。
Her dilettante lover had tired of her；
And she turned to me for strength and solace。
She was some kind of a crying thing
One takes in one's arms； and all at once
It slimes your face with its running nose；
And voids its essence all over you；
Then bites your hand and springs away。
And there you stand bleeding and smelling to heaven
Why； Mary McNeely； I was not worthy
To kiss the hem of your robe！
Georgine Sand Miner
A STEPMOTHER drove me from home； embittering me。
A squaw…man； a flaneur and dilettante took my virtue。
For years I was his mistressno one knew。
I learned from him the parasite cunning
With which I moved with the bluffs； like a flea on a dog。
All the time I was nothing but 〃very private；〃 with different men。
Then Daniel； the radical； had me for years。
His sister called me his mistress；
And Daniel wrote me：
〃Shameful word； soiling our beautifullove！〃
But my anger coiled； preparing its fangs。
My Lesbian friend next took a hand。
She hated Daniel's sister。
And Daniel despised her midget husband。
And she saw a chance for a poisonous thrust：
I must complain to the wife of Daniel's pursuit！
But before I did that I begged him to fly to London with me。
〃Why not stay in the city just as we have？〃 he asked。
Then I turned submarine and revenged his repulse
In the arms of my dilettante friend。
Then up to the surface； Bearing the letter that Daniel wrote me
To prove my honor was all intact； showing it to his wife；
My Lesbian friend and everyone。
If Daniel had only shot me dead！
Instead of stripping me naked of lies
A harlot in body and soul。
Thomas Rhodes
VERY well； you liberals；
And navigators into realms intellectual；
You sailors through heights imaginative；
Blown about by erratic currents； tumbling into air pockets；
You Margaret Fuller Slacks； Petits；
And Tennessee Claflin Shopes
You tound with all your boasted wisdom
How hard at the last it is
To keep the soul from splitting into cellular atoms。
While we； seekers of earth's treasures
Getters and hoarders of gold；
Are self…contained； compact； harmonized；
Even to the end。
Penniwit； the Artist
I LOST my patronage in Spoon River
From trying to put my mind in the camera
To catch the soul of the person。
The very best picture I ever took
Was of Judge Somers； attorney at law。
He sat upright and had me pause
Till he got his cross…eye straight。
Then when he was ready he said 〃all right。〃
And I yelled 〃overruled〃 and his eye turned up。
And I caught him just as he used to look
When saying 〃l except。〃
Jim Brown
WHILE I was handling Dom Pedro
I got at the thing that divides the race between men who are
For singing 〃Turkey in the straw〃 or
〃There is a fountain filled with blood〃
（Like Rile Potter used to sing it over at Concord）。
For cards； or for Rev。 Peet's lecture on the holy land；
For skipping the light fantastic； or passing the plate；
For Pinafore； or a Sunday school cantata；
For men； or for money；
For the people or against them。
This was it： Rev。 Peet and the Social Purity Club；
Headed by Ben Pantier's wife；
Went to the Village trustees；
And asked them to make me take Dom Pedro
From the barn of Wash McNeely； there at the edge of town；
To a barn outside of the corporation；
On the ground that it corrupted public morals。
Well； Ben Pantier and Fiddler Jones saved the day
They thought it a slam on colts。
Robert Davidson
I GREW spiritually fat living off the souls of men。
If I saw a soul that was strong
I wounded its pride and devoured its strength。
The shelters of friendship knew my cunning
For where I could steal a friend I did so。
And wherever I could enlarge my power
By undermining ambition； I did so；
Thus to make smooth my own。
And to triumph over other souls；
Just to assert and prove my superior strength；
Was with me a delight；
The keen exhilaration of soul gymnastics。
Devouring souls； I should have lived forever。
But their undigested remains bred in me a deadly nephritis；
With fear； restlessness； sinking spirits；
Hatred； suspicion； vision disturbed。
I collapsed at last with a shriek。
Remember the acorn；
It does not devour other acorns。
Elsa Wertman
I WAS a peasant girl from Germany；
Blue…eyed； rosy； happy and strong。
And the first place I worked was at Thomas Greene's。
On a summer's day when she was away
He stole into the kitchen and took me
Right in his arms and kissed me on my throat；
I turning my head。 Then neither of us
Seemed to know what happened。
And I cried for what would become of me。
And cried and cried as my secret began to show。
One day Mrs。 Greene said she understood；
And would make no trouble for me