I love to read lists like this. Having it in poetical form is delight upon delight. What are some of your favorite items? I especially like the strong crust of friendly bread, and hair’s fragrance. Don’t you love hugging a friend and smelling her/his hair? Or am I weird? Rupert Brooke hits all the senses doesn’t he?
These
I Have Loved
These
I have loved:
White
plates and cups, clean-gleaming,
Ringed
with blue lines; and feathery, fairy dust;
Wet
roofs, beneath the lamplight; the strong crust
Of
friendly bread; and many-tasting food;
Rainbows;
and the blue bitter smoke of wood;
And
radiant raindrops couching in cool flowers;
And
flowers themselves, that sway through sunny hours,
Dreaming
of moths that drink them under the moon;
Then,
the cool kindliness of sheets, that soon
Smooth
away trouble; and the rough male kiss
Of
blankets; grainy wood; live hair that is
Shining
and free; blue-massing clouds; the keen
Unpassioned
beauty of a great machine;
The
benison of hot water; furs to touch;
The
good smell of old clothes; and other such—
The
comfortable smell of friendly fingers,
Hair’s
fragrance, and the musty reek that lingers
About
dead leaves and last year’s ferns—
Dear
names,
And
thousand others throng to me! Royal flames;
Sweet
water’s dimpling laugh from tap or spring;
Holes
in the ground; and voices that do sing—
Voices
in laughter, too; and body’s pain,
Soon
turned to peace; and the deep-panting train;
Firm
sands; the little dulling edge of foam
That
browns and dwindles as the wave goes home;
And
washen stones, gay for an hour; the cold
Graveness
of iron; moist black earthen mold;
Sleep;
and high places; footprints in the dew;
And
oaks; and brown horse chestnuts, glossy-new;
And
new-peeled sticks; and shining pools on grass—
All
these have been my loves.
Rupert
Brooke (1887-1915)
A Living Pencil 