She Lay All Naked

(Painting by Amadeo Modigliani)

Listen to: 

She Lay All Naked (2:08)

by Anonymous 

performed by Bob Gonzalez, rhapsode

She lay all naked in her bed, 

    And I myself lay by; 

No veil but curtains about her spread, 

    No covering but I: 

Her head upon her shoulders seeks 

    To hang in careless wise, 

And full of blushes was her cheeks, 

    And of wishes were her eyes. 

Her blood still fresh into her face, 

    As on a message came, 

To say that in another place 

    It meant another game; 

Her cherry lip moist, plump, and fair, 

    Millions of kisses crown, 

Which ripe and uncropped dangle there, 

    And weigh the branches down.

Her breasts, that welled so plump and high 

    Bred pleasant pain in me, 

For all the world I do defy 

    The like felicity; 

Her thighs and belly, soft and fair,

    To me were only shown:

To have seen such meat, and not to have eat,

    Would have angered any stone. 

Her knees lay upward gently bent,

    And all lay hollow under,

As if on easy terms, they meant 

    To fall unforced asunder; 

Just so the Cyprian Queen did lie, 

    Expecting in her bower; 

When too long stay had kept the boy 

    Beyond his promised hour.

‘Dull clown,’ quoth she, ‘why dost delay 

    such proffered bliss to take?

Canst thou find out no other way 

    Similitudes to make?’

Mad with delight I – thundering -

    Throw my arms about her, 

But pox upon’t ’twas but a dream. 

    And so I lay without her.