David J Bauman

In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, here is one of the best (in my humble opinion) love poems ever written by the often wacky, always unique E. E. Cummings. The text of the poem is printed below.

my love is building a building
around you, a frail slippery
house, a strong fragile house
(beginning at the singular beginning

of your smile)a skilful uncouth
prison, a precise clumsy
prison(building thatandthis into Thus,
Around the reckless magic of your mouth)

my love is building a magic, a discrete
tower of magic and(as i guess)

when Farmer Death(whom fairies hate)shall

crumble the mouth-flower fleet
He'll not my tower,
                          laborious, casual

where the surrounded smile
                                       hangs
                                                          
                                                breathless