37. FOR COMPANIE

Fingers smelling of wood swarths,
like bacon from the fireplace,
She kept me Companie;
In the room in the cottage,
in that roome by the lake,
she kept me Companie;
Round—breasted, rumpled white sweater
   stuck with bits of autumn leaf,
   alive with borrowed fire colors*
   (* and we catalog the burning of
      fires, and homeliest
      is wood burning in fire places,
      food in iron places,
      bacon and chestnuts, wood
      and auburn hair, such a girl was she)
Her hair, her sweater, warm, emanent
with fragrance of fresh leaf
and common burning wood: Wine
from Madeira, Virginian tabacos,
were shipt to us,
for Companie!