Inspiration for the Spirit

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

  • Home
  • About
  • Poetry
  • Essays
  • Inspiration
  • Quotes
  • Reflections
  • Guestbook
  • Archives
Home / Classic Poets / 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

Filed under garden.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

The Poetry Pages

My Poems
Classic Poets
Selected Poems
Classic Love Poems
Zen Poetry, Haiku, and Wisdom
antique book and autumn leaf

Classic Poets

  • Robert Frost
  • Edna St. Vincent Millay
  • Sara Teasdale
birds in flight from feather "In the hands of a great poet, words have ways of affecting us in ways we don't understand." —Kenneth Branagh

Featured Poem

"Golden Tears" by Anne Marie Zylberman

Time does not bring relief; you all have lied

By Edna St. Vincent Millay

Time does not bring relief;
you all have lied
Who told me time
would ease me of my pain!
I miss him in the weeping of the rain;
I want him at the shrinking of the tide …
Read more

"Winter's Silent Night" by Janine Riley, watercolor, 2012
old house
babbling brook
"Flaming June" by Sir Frederic Leighton, 1895
Sitem♥p

Explore and Enjoy

aging art autumn being female children compassion courage death divorce encouragement family father flowers forgiveness friendship grief & sadness happiness hope inner peace inspiring life living loneliness love love lost loving yourself marriage mindful living mother mountains music Native American people places positive attitude poverty quotes relationships sex & sexuality simple pleasures solitude spirit spring winter writing

Inspiration for the Spirit EST 2002 • Copyright © 2023 Patricia Petro • LOGIN

»
«