Page:Aurora Leigh a Poem.djvu/268

I’m not less dead for that: I’m nothing more
But just a mother. Only for the child,
I’m warm, and cold, and hungry, and afraid,
And smell the flowers a little, and see the sun,
And speak still, and am silent,—just for him!
I pray you therefore to mistake me not
And treat me haply, as I were alive;
For though you ran a pin into my soul,
I think it would not hurt nor trouble me.
Here’s proof, dear lady,—in the market-place
But now, you promised me to say a word
About . . a friend, who once, long years ago,
Took God’s place toward me, when He draws and loves
And does not thunder, . . whom at last I left,
As all of us leave God. You thought perhaps
I seemed to care for hearing of that friend?
Now, judge me! we have sate here half an hour
And talked together of the child and me,
And I not asked as much as ‘What’s the thing
You had to tell me of the friend . . the friend?’
He’s sad, I think you said,—he’s sick perhaps?
It’s nought to Marian if he’s sad or sick.
Another would have crawled beside your foot
And prayed your words out. Why, a beast, a dog,
A starved cat, if he had fed it once with milk,
Would show less hardness. But I’m dead, you see,
And that explains it.’
Poor, poor thing, she spoke
And shook her head, as white and calm as frost
On days too cold for raining any more,