I pity old ladies
With black coats and rabbit fur.
Their cheeks are drawn tight,
And they wear glasses
To help them cross streets
And read hymns
And knit.
I wonder if they have ever stood
On a moon-washed beach,
Curled white by night waves;
Looked into the darkness,
Laughed at it,
Hugged it close;
Stood fearless, with hands clasped high,
Feeling the wind.
I wonder this,
Pitying old ladies
With black coats and rabbit fur.
This piece originally appeared in New Strung Bow, a book of poems written by Sarah Lawrence students that was published in 1932.