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Robert Laurence Binyon - Martha
Work rating: Low

A woman sat, with roses red
 Upon her lap before her spread,
 On that high bridge whose parapet
 Wide over turbulent Thames is set,
 Between the dome`s far glittering crest
 And those famed towers that throng the west.
 Neglectful of the summer air
 That on her pale brow stirred the hair,
 She sat with fond and troubled look,
 And in her hand the roses shook.
 Shy to her lips a bloom she laid,
 Then shrank as suddenly afraid:
 For from the breathing crimson leaf
 The sweetness came to her like grief.
 Dropping her hands, her eyes she raised,
 And on the hurrying passers gazed.
 Two children, loitering along
 Amid that swift and busy throng,
 Their arms about each other`s shoulder,
 The younger clinging to the older,
 Stopped, with their faces backward turned
 To her: her heart within her yearned.
 They were so young! She looked away:
 Oh, the whole earth was young to--day!
 The whole wide earth was laughing fair;
 The flashing river, the soft air,
 The horses proud, the voices clear
 Of young men, frequent cry and cheer,
 All these were beautiful and free,
 Each with its joy: Alas, but she!
 She started up, and bowed her head,
 And, gathering her roses, fled.

 Through dim, uncounted, silent days,
 She had trod deep--secluded ways;
 `Mid the fierce throng of jostling lives,
 Whom unrelenting hunger drives,
 Close to the wall had stolen by,
 Yet could not shun calamity.
 Her painful thrift, her patient face,
 Could not the world--old debt erase;
 Nor gentle lips, nor feet that glide,
 Persuade the sudden blow aside.
 This morn, when she arose, her store,
 Trusted to others, was no more.
 No more avail her years of care.
 She must her bosom frail prepare,
 Exposed in her defenceless age,
 Against the world and fortune`s rage.
 For bread, for bread, what must be done?
 She stole forth in the morning sun.
 I will sell flowers, she thought: this way
 Seemed gentler to her first dismay.
 Soon to the great flower--market, fair
 With watered leaves and scented air,
 She came: her seeking, timorous gaze
 Wandered about her in amaze.
 The arches hummed with cheerful sound;
 Buyers and sellers thronged around;
 Lilies in virgin slumber stirred
 Hardly, the gold dust brightly blurred
 Upon their rich illumined snow,
 As the soft breezes come and go.
 From her smooth sheath, with ardent wings,
 Purple and gold, the iris springs;
 Deep--umbered wall--flowers, dusk between
 The radiance and the odour keen
 Of jonquils, this sad woman`s eyes
 And her o`erclouded soul surprise.

 But most the wine--red roses, deep
 In sunshine lying, warm asleep,
 Breathing perfume, drinking light
 Into their inmost bosoms bright,
 Seemed fathomlessly to unfold
 A treasure of more price than gold.
 Martha, o`ercome by wonder new,
 Into her heart the crimson drew;
 The colour burning on her cheek,
 She stood, in strange emotion weak.
 But she must buy. Her choice was made:
 Red rose upon red rose she laid,
 Lingering, then hastened out, with eyes
 Bright, and her hands about the prize,
 And quickened thought that nowhere aims.
 Soon, pausing above glittering Thames,
 She spreads the flowers upon her knees.
 Vast, many--windowed palaces
 Before her raised their scornful height
 And haughtily struck back the light.
 She scarcely marked them, only bent
 Her fond gaze on the flowers, intent
 To bind them in gay bunches, drest
 So to allure the spoiler best.
 But now, as her caressing hand
 Each odorous fresh nosegay planned,
 A new grief smote her to the heart:
 Must she from her sweet treasure part?
 They seemed of her own blood. O no,
 I cannot shame my roses so:
 I will get bread some other way.
 So she shut out all thought. The day
 Was radiant; and her soul, surprised
 To beauty, and the unsurmised
 Sweetness of life, itself reproved
 That had so little felt and loved!
 O now to love, if even a flower,
 To taste the sweet sun for an hour,
 Was better than the struggle vain,
 The dull, unprofitable pain,
 To find her useless body bread.
 Stricken with grievous joy, she fled.

 She fled, but soon her pace grew faint.
 She paused awhile, and easier went.
 Often, in spirits wrought, despair,
 Not less than joy the end of care,
 A lightness feigns: for all is done,
 And certainty at last begun.
 Martha, with impulse fresh recoiled
 From empty years, forlorn and soiled,
 Trembled to feel the radiant breeze
 Blowing from unknown living seas,
 And, rising eager from long fast,
 Drank in the wine of life at last.
 Now, as some lovely face went by,
 She noted it with yearning eye;
 She joyed in the exultant course
 Of horses, and their rushing force.

 At last, long wandering, she drew near
 Her home; then fell on her a fear,
 A shadow from the coming Hours.
 By chance a hawker, crying flowers,
 His barrow pushed along the street,
 And the dull air with scent was sweet.
 As on her threshold Martha stood,
 A sudden thought surprised her blood.
 Quickly she entered, and the stair
 Ascended: first with gentle care
 Cooled her tired roses: then a box
 Of little hoardings she unlocks,
 And brings her silver to the door
 And buys till she can buy no more.
 Laden she enters: the drear room
 Glows strangely; the transfigured gloom
 Flows over, prodigal in bloom.
 Her lonely supper now she spread;
 But with her eyes she banqueted.
 Over the roofs in solemn flame
 The strong beam of the sunset came,
 And from the floor striking a glow
 Burned back upon the wall; and lo!
 How deep, in double splendour dyed,
 Blushed the red roses glorified!
 When darkness dimmed them, Martha sighed.
 Yet still about the room she went
 Touching them, and the subtle scent
 Wandered into her soul, and brought
 All memories, yet stifled thought.
 As in her bed she lay, the flowers
 Haunted her through the midnight hours:
 `Twixt her shut lids the colours crept;
 But wearied out, at last she slept.

 Next morning she awoke in dread.
 O mad, O sinful me! she said,
 What have I done? how shall this end
 For me? Alas, I have no friend.
 She strove to rise; but in her brain
 A drowsy magic worked like pain.
 She sank back in a weak amaze
 Upon the pillow: then her gaze
 Fell on the roses; she looked round,
 And in the spell again was bound.
 The deep--hued blossoms standing by
 With serious beauty awed her eye;
 Upward, inscrutable, they flamed:
 Of that mean fear she was ashamed.
 All day their fragrance in the sun
 Possessed her spirit: one by one,
 She pondered o`er them, dozing still
 And waking half against her will.
 Her body hungered, but her soul
 Was feasting. Gradually stole
 The evening shadow on her bed;
 She could no longer lift her head,
 Deep on her brain the flowers had wrought;
 Now in the dim twilight her thought
 Put trembling on a strange attire,
 And blossomed in fantastic fire.
 She stretched her hand out in the gloom:
 It touched upon a living bloom.
 Thither she turned; the deep perfume
 O`ercame her; nearer and more near,
 And now her joy is in her fear,
 The lily hangs, the rose inclines,
 With incense that her soul entwines,
 Her inmost soul that dares not stir.
 The gentle flowers have need of her.
 Unpitying is their rich desire--
 Her breath, her being they require.
 O, she must yield! She sinks far down,
 Conquered, listless, happy, down
 Under wells of darkness, deep
 Into labyrinths of sleep,
 Perishing in sweetness dumb,
 By the close enfolding bloom
 To a sighing phantom kissed,
 Like a water into mist
 Melting, and extinguished quite
 In unfathomed odorous night.

 At last, the brief stars paling, dawn
 Breathed from distant stream and lawn.
 The earliest bird with chirrup low
 Called his mates; softly and slow
 The flowers their languid petals part,
 And open to the fragrant heart.
 And now the first fresh beam returned;
 Bright through the lily`s edge it burned
 And filled the purple rose with fire,
 And brightened all their green attire,
 And woke a shadow on the wall.

 But Martha slept, nor stirred at all.
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