Chapter 5
poem number five of thirty american poems by various a chorus girl by edward escalin cummings this letterbox recording is in the public domain reading by matt perrard a chorus girl when thou hast taken thy last applause and when the final curtain strikes the world away leaving to shadowy silence and dismay that stage which shall not know thy smile again lingering a little while while i see thee then ponder the tensile part they let thee play i see the red mouth tarnished the face gray and smileless silent eyes of magdalen the lights have laughed their last without the street darkly awaiteth her whose feet have trod the silly souls of men to golden dust she pauses on the lintel of defeat her heart breaks in a smile and she is lust mine also little painted poem of god this is the garden colors come and go frail azures fluttering from night's outer wing strong silent greens serenely lingering
absolute lights like baths of golden snow this is the garden pursed lips do blow upon cool flutes within wide glooms and sing of harps celestial to the quivering string invisible faces hauntingly and slow this is the garden time shall surely reap and on death's blade lie many a flower curled in other lands where other songs be sung yet stand they here enraptured as among the slow deep trees perpetual of sleep some silver fingered fountain stills the world it may not always be so and i say that if your lips which i have loved should touch another's and your dear strong fingers clutch his heart as mine in time not far away if on another's face your sweet hair lay in such a silence as i know or such great writhing words as uttering overmuch stand helplessly before the spirit at bay if this should be i say if this should be you of my heart send me a little word that i may go unto him and take his hands saying accept all happiness from me
then shall i turn my face and hear one bird sing terribly afar in the lost lands this recording is in the public domain
