Nike

What do men give thanks for? I give thanks for one, Lovelier than morning, Dearer than the sun.

Such a head the victors Must have praised and known, With that breast and bearing, Nike's very own—

As superb, untrammeled, Rhythmed and poised and free As the strong pure sea-wind Walking on the sea;

Such a hand as Beauty Uses with full heart, Seeking for her freedom In new shapes of art;

Soft as rain in April, Quiet as the days Of the purple asters And the autumn haze;

With a soul more subtle Than the light of stars, Frailer than a moth's wing To the touch that mars;

Wise with all the silence Of the waiting hills, When the gracious twilight Wakes in them and thrills;

With a voice more tender Than the early moon Hears among the thrushes In the woods of June;

Delicate as grasses When they lift and stir— One sweet lyric woman— I give thanks for her.