Possession

Walk into the world,
Go into the places of trade;
Go into the smiling country—
But go, clad, wrapped closely always,
Shielded and sustained,
In the visible flame of my love.
 
Let it blaze about you—
A glowing armor for all to see;
Flashing around your head—
A tender and valiant halo.
 
I think there will be many to wonder
And many to stand in awe and envy—
But surely no one will come too close to you.
No one will dare to claim you,—
Hand or heart,—
As you pass in your shining and terrible garment.
 
Credit

This poem is in the public domain.

About this Poem

"Possession" appeared in The Answering Voice: One Hundred Love Lyrics by Women, edited and selected by Sara Teasdale (Houghton Mifflin and Company, 1917).