Minerva Jones

　　by Edgar Lee Masters

　　 I am Minerva， the village poetess，

　　 Hooted at， jeered at by the Yahoos of the street

　　 For my heavy body， cock-eye， and rolling walk，

　　 And all the more when "Butch" Weldy

　　 Captured me after a brutal hunt.

　　 He left me to my fate with Doctor Meyers；

　　 And I sank into death， growing numb from the feet up，

　　 Like one stepping deeper and deeper into a stream of ice.

　　 Will some one go to the village newspaper，

　　 And gather into a book the verses I wrote？

　　 I thirsted so for love！

　　 I hungered so for life！