A Poem for a Thursday #264

Sara Teasdale was born in Missouri and lived from 1884-1933. She wrote seven volumes of poetry and was known for her “well-crafted lyrical poetry which centered on women’s changing perspectives on beauty, love, and death.” In 1918 she won the first Columbia Prize for Poetry, a prize that was renamed the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.

Life has loveliness to sell
     All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
     Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And children's faces looking up
Holding wonder like a cup.

Life has loveliness to sell,
     Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
     Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit's still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.

Spend all you have for loveliness,
     Buy it and never count the cost;
For one white singing hour of peace
     Count many a year of strife well lost,
And for a breath of ecstasy
Give all you have been, or could be.

Barter 
Sara Teasdale