“If you’re fond of road-blocks, this one can’t be beat:”

&
If you’re fond of road-blocks, this one can’t be beat:
A big tree in the middle of the street.
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from “An Attempt at Jealousy” by Marina Tsvetaeva
Marina Tsvetaeva
How is your life with that other one?
Simpler, is it? A stroke of the oars
and a long coastline—
and the memory of me

is soon a drifting island
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Souls—you will be sisters—
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The Trumpet by Edward Thomas
Edward Thomas
Rise up, rise up,
And, as the trumpet blowing
Chases the dreams of men,
As the dawn glowing
The stars that left unlit
The land and water,
Rise up and scatter
The dew that covers
The print of last night’s lovers—
Scatter it, scatter it!

While you are listening
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Forget, men, everything
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Metals Metals by Russell Edson
Russell Edson
Out of the golden West, out of the leaden East, into the iron South, and to the silver North . . . Oh metals metals everywhere, forks and knives, belt buckles and hooks . . . When you are beaten you sing. You do not give anyone a chance . . .

You come out of the earth and fly with men. You lodge in men. You hurt them terribly. You tear them. You do not care for anyone.

Oh metals metals, why are you always hanging about? Is it not enough that you hold men’s wrists? Is it not enough that we let you in our mouths?

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As day did darken on the dewless grass,
There, still, wi’ nwone a-come by me
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Within the house, all dumb by me,
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An’ there a win’blast shook the rattlèn door,
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Mary Mapes Dodge
Oh! Shepherd John is good and kind,
Oh! Shepherd John is brave;
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His arm is quick to save.

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Read while you tend the grazing flock:
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As rising from the vegetable World
My Theme ascends, with equal Wing ascend,
My panting Muse; and hark, how loud the Woods
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’T was merry Christmas when he came,
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To Rosa by Abraham Lincoln
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We aged a hundred years and this descended
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I first discovered what was killing these men.
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