Chapter I: Front Matter

POEMS BY
IRIS TREE

The author returns thanks for permission to use in this collection of her poems, those which have appeared in Poetry, Vanity Fair and the "Wheels" Anthology.

HEAD OF IRIS TREE BY JACOB EPSTEIN
]

Poems
by
Iris Tree

Decorations by
Curtis Moffat

LONDON: JOHN LANE, THE BODLEY HEAD
NEW YORK: JOHN LANE COMPANY
MCMXX

Press of J. J. Little & Ives Company
New York, U. S. A.

CONTENTS

ROCKETS AND ASHES

PAGE
"YOU PREACH TO ME OF LAWS, YOU TIE MY LIMBS" 11

"WE ARE THE CARETAKERS OF EMPTY HOUSES" 12

"FROM FAR AWAY THE LOST ADVENTURES GLEAM" 13

"GIVE ME, O GOD, THE POWER OF LAUGHTER STILL" 14

"WINDING DOWN THE STREET IN WEARIED GAIETY" 15

"TRANQUILLITY STIRRED BY A SUDDEN SPASM" 17

"I COULD EXPLAIN" 18

"I FEEL IN ME A MANIFOLD DESIRE" 19

"SILENCE" 20

"I SHOULD LIKE TO SAY TO THE WORLD" 21

"YOU PASS AS IN A DRUGGED DELIRIUM" 22

"O FACES THAT LOOK SO COLDLY AT ME" 23

"I SEE MYSELF IN MANY DIFFERENT DRESSES" 24

"THERE ARE SONGS ENOUGH OF LOVE, OF JOY, OF GRIEF" 25

"HOW OFTEN, WHEN THE THOUGHT OF SUICIDE" 27

"IT IS STILL SOMETHING TO HAVE CHEATED GOD" 28

"WHAT WORDS THAT MOVE ON WINGS IN A LONG DRIFT" 29

"I THINK MYSELF" 30

"THE ADORED, WILD, STRANGE, IRRESISTIBLE" 31

A ROSE 32

"LIKE FLOCKS OF TIRED BIRDS WHEN AUTUMN COMES" 33

"OH, JUST BEYOND THE CURVE OF IDEAL QUEST" 34

"AH! YOU, FROM THE SMALL HIGH-WALLED ACRE OF YOUR LIVES" 35

"MOUTH OF THE DUST I KISS, CORRUPTION ABSOLUTE" 36

"THE CURTAINS ARE DRAWN AS THOUGH IT STILL WERE NIGHT" 37

BLACK VELVET 38

NERVES 39

"MY PAIN HAS ALL THE PATIENCE OF A NUN" 40

"THE SCANDAL-MONGER AFTER ALL IS RIGHT" 41

"WOODS OF BROWN GLOOM SOMBRING WITH THE HUSH OF DEATH" 42

"I FEEL SO MUCH ALONE" 43

THE COMPLEX LIFE 44

"SHALL WE BE CHRISTENED POETS, CHILDREN OF GOD" 46

"WHEN I AM WEARY AT THE ANTIC CHANCE" 47

MOODS 48

SMOKE

"NOW IS THE EVENING DIPPED KNEE-DEEP IN BLOOD" 53

"BLOW UPON BLOW THEY BRUISE THE DAYLIGHT WAN" 54

"A RAGGED DRUMMER RIDES ALONG THE STREET" 56

ZEPPELINS 58

"O FLATTERY, IMPOSTURE, BATTLE SHOW" 62

"WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE BEGGAR, AND THE SINNER, AND THE SAD" 63

"IF I WERE WHAT I WOULD BE, AND COULD BREAK" 64

HOLY RUSSIA 65

"HOW DEEPLY NURTURED IS YOUR FOOLISHNESS" 67

"OF ALL WHO DIED IN SILENCE FAR AWAY" 68

"AND AFTERWARDS, WHEN HONOUR HAS MADE GOOD" 69

"PITY THE SLAIN THAT LAID AWAY THEIR LIVES" 70

FLAME

"YOU HAVE UNDERSTOOD SO LITTLE OF ME, AND MY ADORATION" 75

"LULLED ARE THE DAZZLING COLOURS OF THE DAY" 77

"WASHED AT MY FEET BY THE CURDED FOAM OF SLUGGISH WAVES" 78

"MY POEMS CANNOT LAUGH. THEY ARE THE VOICE" 79

"ON THE HILL THERE IS A TAVERN, LONG-LOVED, WELL-REMEMBERED" 80

"OH CANST THOU NOT HEAR IN MY HEART ALL ITS WHISPERING FEARS" 81

"AS IN THE SILENCE THE CLEAR MOONLIGHT DRIPS" 83

"I CAN BUT GIVE THEE UNSUBSTANTIAL THINGS" 84

"I HAVE NO OTHER FRIEND BUT THEE" 85

"BODIES HEAVING LIKE WAVES" 88

"YOUR FACE TO ME IS LIKE A BEAUTIFUL CITY" 89

"OH! WHY WILL YOU NOT LET ME LOVE YOU" 90

"MY DEVOTION KNEELS TO YOU" 92

ISLANDS 93

"MANY THINGS I'D FIND TO CHARM YOU" 94

LAMPLIGHT AND STARLIGHT

LAMP-POSTS 97

LONDON 98

"SLOWLY THE PALE FEET OF MORNING" 100

"WHAT HAVE I TO DO WITH THEM" 101

"AMONG THE CRUMBLING ARCHES OF DECAY" 103

"AS A NUN'S FACE FROM HER BLACK DRAPERIES" 105

"THE SUN IS LORD OF LIFE AND COLOUR" 106

BAHAMA ISLANDS 107

THOUGHTS OF LONDON 108

STREETS 109

"LAUGHTER AND SINGING COME WITH THE MORNING" 113

"IN THE NIGHT I HEAR MY LONELINESS CALLING" 114

SUNDAY 115

"THE LEAVES ARE SINGING, AND THE SEA" 116

"HOW SOUNDLY SLEEPETH THE FOOL" 117

"MOONLIT LILACS UNDER THE WINDOW" 118

"OLD WOMAN FOREVER SITTING" 119

"LONELINESS I LOVE" 120