Tower of Ivory/A Sampler

by Archibald MacLeish

A SAMPLER

She stitches quaint embroideries
My lady of white hands,
With fishes from the China seas
And beasts from foreign lands.

And flowers out of Araby
And sage Saharan ants,
And cockatoos from Nickerie
And wrinkled elephants,

And ships with swelling purple sails
And cargoes pavonine,
And whalermen and spouting whales,
And porpoises in line.

And cows of rich autumnal hues
A-browse in flowered meads,
And shepherd dogs in buffs and blues
And shepherd boys in tweeds.

She weaves them all into a net,
And, silk for Circe's wine,
Enchants them there with mignonette
In intricate design.

And thence methinks she has that art
Whereby her fingers twist
Into the dull web of my heart
Silver and amethyst.