Dawn?—no, the stunted transparency of dawn—

Color taken from the birth of a white throat

And shaken in a still cup till it gradually reaches strength

A sudden scattering of strained light—

The smile has lived and seemed to die.

Thought?—no, the invisible shudder of a perfume

Trying to leave the shadowy pain of a flesh-flower

A whisp of it whips itself away,

And leaves the rest—a cool, colorless struggle.

Sadness?—no, the growth of a pale inclination