The look of one who serves

SELF-PORTRAIT, 1906
The stamina of an old, long-noble race
in the eyebrows' heavy arches.  In the mild
blue eyes, the solemn anguish of a child
and, here and there, humility - not a fool's,
but feminine: the look of one who serves.
The mouth quite ordinary, large and straight,
composed, yet not unwilling to speak out
when necessary.  The forehead still naive,
most comfortable in shadows, looking down.

This, as a whole, just hazily foreseen - 
never, in any joy or suffering,
collected for a firm accomplishment;
and yet, as though, from far off, with scattered Things,
a serious, true work were being planned.
                              from New Poems 1907;1908