Undressing You

Fiercely I remove from you

All the little vestiges—

Garments that confine you,

Things that touch the flesh,

The wool and the silk

And the linen that entwine you,

Tear them all away from you,

Bare you from the mesh.

And now I have you as you are,

Nothing to encumber you—

But now I see, caressing you,

Colder hands than mine.

They take away your flesh and bone,

And, utterly undressing you,

They tear you from your beauty

And they leave no sign.

Credit

This poem is in the public domain.

Author

Witter Bynner

Witter Bynner was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1881. He graduated from Harvard University in 1902. After college, he worked as a newspaper reporter and, later, as the assistant editor of McClure’s magazine.

Bynner published his first poetry collection, An Ode to Harvard (Small, Maynard, & Co.), in 1907. He was also the author of New Poems (Alfred A. Knopf, 1960); Take Away the Darkness (Alfred A. Knopf, 1947); The Beloved Stranger (Alfred A. Knopf, 1919); Tiger (M. Kennerley, 1913); and several other poetry collections.

Date Published

01/01/1929