The Ivy Crown

William Carlos Williams - The Ivy Crown

The whole process is a lie,

        unless,

            crowned by excess,

It break forcefully,

        one way or another,

            from its confinement—

or find a deeper well.

        Antony and Cleopatra

            were right;

they have shown

        the way. I love you

            or I do not live

at all.

Daffodil time

         is past. This is

              summer, summer!

the heart says,

         and not even the full of it.

              No doubts

are permitted—

         though they will come

              and may

before our time

         overwhelm us.

              We are only mortal

but being mortal

         can defy our fate.

              We may

by an outside chance

         even win! We do not

              look to see

jonquils and violets

         come again

              but there are,

still,

         the roses!

Romance has no part in it.

         The business of love is

              cruelty which,

by our wills,

         we transform

              to live together.

It has its seasons,

         for and against,

              whatever the heart

fumbles in the dark

         to assert

              toward the end of May.

Just as the nature of briars

         is to tear flesh,

              I have proceeded

through them.

         Keep

              the briars out,

they say.

         You cannot live

              and keep free of

briars.

Children pick flowers.

         Let them.

              Though having them

in hand

         they have no further use for them

              but leave them crumpled

at the curb's edge.

At our age the imagination

         across the sorry facts

              lifts us

to make roses

         stand before thorns.

              Sure

love is cruel

         and selfish

              and totally obtuse—

at least, blinded by the light,

         young love is.

              But we are older,

I to love

         and you to be loved,

              we have,

no matter how,

         by our wills survived

              to keep

the jeweled prize

         always

              at our finger tips.

We will it so

         and so it is

              past all accident.