WEBVTT

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Here is a poem about a
spinster of a certain age, who

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loves her flowers much
more than she can love man.

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There's a great storm, there's
a little truth behind this poem,

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I was one summer in
Colorado teaching

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and after the
leaves were all out

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and the flowers
were in full bloom,

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there came a dreadful
hailstorm and cut their leaves

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off the trees and
shattered the flowers.

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And there was not much recovery,
it was a blasted summer.

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When Miriam Tazewell heard the
tempest bursting and his wrathy

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whips across the
sky drawn crackling,

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she stuffed her ears for
fright, like a young thing,

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and with heart full of the
flowers took to weeping.

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But the Earth shook dry his
old back in good season,

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he had weathered storms that
drenched him deep as this one.

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And the sun, Miriam,
ascended to his Dominion.

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This storm was withered
against his empyrean.

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After the storm, she
went forth the skirts

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kilted to see in the strong
sun her lawn deflowered.

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Her tulip, iris, peony
strong and pelted.

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Pots of geranium spilled
and the stalks naked.

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This spring transpired in
that year with no flowers,

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but the regular stars went
busily on their courses.

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Suppers and cards were
calendared, and some bridals.

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And the birds demurely
sang in the bitten poplars.

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To Miriam Tazewell,
the whole world

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was villain to prosper when
the fragile babes had fallen.

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And not to unstop
her own storm and be

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maudlin, for weeks she went
untidy, she went sullen.

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