The taxi

When I go away from you
The world beats dead
Like a slackened drum.
I call out for you against the jutted stars
And shout into the ridges of the wind.
Streets coming fast,
One after the other,
Wedge you away from me,
And the lamps of the city prick my eyes
So that I can no longer see your face.
Why should I leave you,
To wound myself upon the sharp edges of the night?

by Amy Lowell (1874-1925) , "The taxi", from Sword Blades and Poppy Seed, published 1914

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Celius Dougherty (1902-1986) , "The taxi", published 1961. [medium voice, piano]
by Henry Kimball Hadley (1871-1937) , "When I go away from you", op. 68 no. 1, published 1920. [high or low voice, piano, violin and violoncello obbligato]

Date added to the website: 2005-12-15.

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