Longing (Teasdale)

For works with similar titles, see Longing.

Longing by Sara Teasdale

From Rivers to the Sea Part I

I LOVE too much; I am a river
      Surging with spring that seeks the sea,
I am too generous a giver,
      Love will not stoop to drink of me.

His feet will turn to desert places
      Shadowless, reft of rain and dew,
Where stars stare down with sharpened faces
      From heavens pitilessly blue.

And there at midnight sick with faring,
      He will stoop down in his desire
To slake the thirst grown past all bearing
      In stagnant water keen as fire.

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1923. The author died in 1933, so this work is also in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 75 years or less. This work may also be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.