Et tibi miserere

Sara Teasdale, Leaves (1915)

One by one, like leaves from a tree,

All my faiths have forsaken me;

But the stars above my head

Burn in white and delicate red,

And beneath my feet the earth

Brings the sturdy grass to birth.

I who was content to be

But a silken-singing tree,

But a rustle of delight

In the wistful heart of night

I have lost the leaves that knew

Touch of rain and weight of dew.

Blinded by a leafy crown

I looked neither up nor down

But the little leaves that die

Have left me room to see the sky;

Now for the first time I know

Stars above and earth below.

Mark Turbyfill, Strangers (1917)

I shall tell you:

I am seeing and seeing strangers

Who are not strangers,

For there is something in their eyes,

And about their faces

That whispers to me

(But so low

That I can never quite hear)

Of the lost half of myself

Which I have been seeking since the beginning of earth;

And I could follow them to the end of the world,

Would they but lean nearer, nearer,

And tell me...

Hope Salmonson, Hold Yourself Close (2021)

Hold yourself close

As you would hold me,

And in your own arms,

Find rest.

For you are here;

You are among love.

And in love,

As in all earthly things,

Find peace.