earth how often have
the
doting1
fingers of
prurient2 philosophers pinched
and
poked3
thee
has the naughty thumb
of science prodded4
thy
beauty .how
often have religions taken
thee upon their scraggy knees
squeezing and
buffeting thee that thou mightest conceive
gods
(but
true
to the incomparable
couch of death thy
rhythmic
lover
thou answerest
them only with
spring)