The Dream

Edna St. Vincent Millay 1892 – 1950

Love, if I weep it will not matter,

And if you laugh I shall not care;

Foolish am I to think about it,

But it is good to feel you there.

Love, in my sleep I dreamed of waking, —

White and awful the moonlight reached

Over the floor, and somewhere, somewhere,

There was a shutter loose, —it screeched!

Swung in the wind, — and no wind blowing! —

I was afraid, and turned to you,

Put out my hand to you for comfort, —

And you were gone! Cold, cold as dew,

Under my hand the moonlight lay!

Love, if you laugh I shall not care,

But if I weep it will not matter, —

Ah, it is good to feel you there!

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I’m filling the next chapter of One Poem Only and would love to include your work. Send me the poem you wrote and want the world to hear. New this round: if you’d like to read your own poem on the podcast, you can. No need for a perfect studio recording—just a clear audio file recorded in a quiet space. If you choose this option, you’ll submit your poem and an audio file of you reading it. Submissions close Thursday, July 30. I’ll respond by August 12. Whether I read your poem or you read it yourself, I’d love to hear what you’re ready to share.