Too soon you wearied of our tears.
And then you danced with spangled feet,
Leading Belshazzar’s chattering court
A-tinkling through the shadowy street.
With mead they came, with chants of shame.
DESIRE’S red flag before them flew.
And Istar’s music moved your mouth
And Baal’s deep shames rewoke in you.
Now you could drive the royal car;
Forget our Nation’s breaking load:
Now you could sleep on silver beds.-
(Bitter and dark was our abode.)
And so, for many a night you laughed,
And knew not of my hopeless prayer,
Till God’s own spirit whipped you forth
From Istar’s shrine, from Istar’s stair.
Darling daughter of Babylon-
Rose by the black Euphrates flood-
Again your beauty grew more dear
Than my slave’s bread, than my heart’s blood.
We sang of Zion, good to know,
Where righteousness and peace abide. . . .
What of your second sacrilege
Carousing at Belshazzar’s side?
Once, by a stream, we clasped tired hands-
Your paint and henna washed away.
Your place, you said, was with the slaves
Who sewed the thick cloth, night and day.
You were a pale and holy maid
Toil-bound with us. One night you said:-
“Your God shall be my God until
I slumber with the patriarch dead.”
Pardon, daughter of Babylon,
If, on this night remembering
Our lover walks under the walls
Of hanging gardens in the spring,
A venom comes from broken hope,
From memories of your comrade-song
Until I curse your painted eyes
And do your flower-mouth too much wrong.
(Vachel Lindsay)
More Poetry from Vachel Lindsay:
Vachel Lindsay Poems based on Topics: God, Night, Place, Spring, Prayers, Desire, Hope, Romantic Love, Silver, Slavery, Leading & Managing- Bryan, Bryan, Bryan, Bryan (Vachel Lindsay Poems)
- An Indian Summer Day on the Prairie (Vachel Lindsay Poems)
- A Colloquial Reply: To Any Newsboy (Vachel Lindsay Poems)
- Factory Windows are Always Broken (Vachel Lindsay Poems)
- The North Star Whispers to the Blacksmith's Son (Vachel Lindsay Poems)
- Heart of God (Vachel Lindsay Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: God Poems, Night Poems, Place Poems, Hope Poems, Spring Poems, Prayers Poems, Desire Poems, Silver Poems, Romantic Love Poems, Slavery Poems, Daughters PoemsBased on Keywords: chattering, whipped, venom, babylon, belshazzar, patriarch, shames, chants, carousing, sewed, sacrilege