California Hills

Doris Caldwell

You would not need to flaunt yourself for me,
With plum-red mouth and lupine in your hair,
And the sweet shamelessness of shoulders bare;
I should not need your grape-blue wine to be
Tempted to love. This would be ecstasy
Enough - if sometime you would let me share
The quiet of your tears, the still despair
Of winter's frosty-fingered treachery.

You are too kind - when I should be content
With half your favors, half your beauty spent;
You spill your wine and waste your mad perfume.
Behind my crowding pulse there is not room
For the high bright desire that you awake.
Withhold your beauty or my heart will break!