Published on Academy of American Poets (https://poets.org)

I rose from marsh mud

I rose from marsh mud,
algae, equisetum, willows,
sweet green, noisy
birds and frogs

to see her wed in the rich
rich silence of the church,
the little white slave-girl
in her diamond fronds.

In aisle and arch
the satin secret collects.
United for life to serve
silver. Possessed.

Credit

From Lorine Niedecker: Collected Works by Lorine Niedecker, © 2002 The Regents of the University of California, University of California Press.

Author

Lorine Niedecker

Born on May 12, 1903, Lorine Niedecker's poetry has often been placed in the Imagist and Objectivist movements.

Date Published: 2002-01-01

Source URL: https://poets.org/poem/i-rose-marsh-mud