Sara Teasdale, comp. (1884–1933).
The Answering Voice: One Hundred Love Lyrics by Women. 1917. | | | | Menace | | By Katharine Tynan |
| | | I CAME into your room and spoke. | |
| Sudden I knew you were not there. | |
| The easy, common sentence broke | |
| Against the unanswering air. | |
| |
| My heart shook like a frightened bird, | 5 |
| And to my ear the terror said, | |
| Where nothing spoke and nothing stirred,— | |
| Dear God, if he were dead! | |
| |
| I heard your footstep in the house, | |
| Your voice brought comfort to my fear. | 10 |
| But, fluttering like a frightened mouse, | |
| My heart beat at my ear. | |
| |
| The room wore its familiar face; | |
| On the warm hearth spirted the flame. | |
| Yet—menace of an empty place— | 15 |
| Lord, if he never came! | | | | |
|
|
