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Inspiration for the Spirit

A lovely place to wander for poetry and inspiration to soothe the soul

Home ▷ Edna St. Vincent Millay ▷ Portrait by a Neighbor

Portrait by a Neighbor

by Edna St. Vincent Millay

"The Garden Wall" by John Singer Sargent, 1910

click to enlarge

Before she has her floor swept
Or her dishes done,
Any day you’ll find her
A-sunning in the sun!

It’s long after midnight
Her key’s in the lock,
And you never see her chimney smoke
Till past ten o’clock!

She digs in her garden
With a shovel and a spoon,
She weeds her lazy lettuce
By the light of the moon,

She walks up the walk
Like a woman in a dream,
She forgets she borrowed butter
And pays you back cream!

Her lawn looks like a meadow,
And if she mows the place
She leaves the clover standing
And the Queen Anne’s lace!

Selection from “A Few Figs From Thistles.” NEW YORK: F. SHAY, 1920 | Source: Project Gutenberg.
Painting: “The Garden Wall” by John Singer Sargent, 1910

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