The Rose

Spring and All (1923)

The rose is obsoletebut each petal ends inan edge, the double facetcementing the groovedcolumns of air—The edgecuts without cuttingmeets—nothing—renewsitself in metal or porcelain—

whither? It ends—

But if it endsthe start is begunso that to engage rosesbecomes a geometry—

Sharper, neater, more cuttingfigured in majolica—the broken plateglazed with a rose

Somewhere the sensemakes copper rosessteel roses—

The rose carried weight of lovebut love is at an end—of roses

It is at the edge of thepetal that love waits

Crisp, worked to defeatlaboredness—fragileplucked, moist, half-raisedcold, precise, touching

What

The place between the petal’sedge and the

From the petal’s edge a line startsthat being of steelinfinitely fine, infinitelyrigid penetratesthe Milky Waywithout contact—liftingfrom it—neither hangingnor pushing—

The fragility of the flowerunbruisedpenetrates space

“The Rose” Spring and All (1923)