you are cut apart

by wave-break upon wave-break,

that you are misshapen by the sharp rocks,

broken by the rasp and after-rasp.

That you are cut, torn, mangled,

torn by the stress and beat,

no stronger than the strips of sand

along your ragged beach.

II

But we bring violets,

great masses—single, sweet,

wood-violets, stream-violets,

violets from a wet marsh.

[31]

Violets in clumps from hills,

tufts with earth at the roots,

violets tugged from rocks,

blue violets, moss, cliff, river-violets.

Yellow violets' gold,

burnt with a rare tint—

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