Tally

Josephine Miles

After her pills the girl slept and counted

Pellet on pellet the regress of life.

Dead to the world, the world's count yet counted

Pellet on pill the antinomies of life.

Refused to turn, the way's back, she counted

Her several stones across the mire of life.

And stones away and sticks away she counted

To keep herself out of the country of life.

Lost tally. How the sheep return to home

Is the story she will retrieve

And the only story believe

Of one and one the sheep returning home

To take the shapes of life,

Coming and being counted.