A Poem for a Thursday #297

Edna St. Vincent Millay is one of the first poets I ever properly appreciated and I truly thought I had read pretty much all of her works. However, I don’t remember this poem. Isn’t it lovely?
I, having loved ever since I was a child a few things, never having
wavered
In these affections; never through shyness in the houses of the
rich of in the presence of clergymen having denied these
loves;
Never when worked upon by cynics like chiropractors having
grunted or clicked a vertebra to the discredit of these loves;
Never when anxious to land a job having diminished them by a
conniving smile; or when befuddled by drink
Jeered them through heartache or lazily fondled the fingers of
their alert enemies; declare
That I shall love you always.
No matter what party is in power;
No matter what temporarily expedient combination of allied
interests wins the war;
Shall love you always.
Modern Declaration
Edna St. Vincent Millay


