Touch The Air Softly

In the poem "Now Touch the Air Softly" by William J. Smith, the speaker expresses their unwavering love for someone. They use vivid imagery to describe how long their love will last, comparing it to roses turning blue, gravel becoming food, and lemons and lavenders changing color. The speaker also mentions loving until certain extraordinary events occur, like the stars being ripped from the sky and the moon disappearing on a boat. The poem ends with a declaration to sweep the sky and love forever. Now Touch the Air Softly by William J. Smith Now touch the air softly, step gently, one, two. I'll love you till roses are robin's egg blue. I'll love you till gravel is eaten for bread and lemons are orange and lavenders red. Now touch the air softly, swing gently the broom. I'll love you till windows are all of a room and the table is laid and the table is bare and the ceiling reposes on bottomless air. I'll love you till heaven rips the stars from his coat and the moon rose away in a glass-bottomed boat and Orion steps down like a river below and earth is ablaze and oceans aglow. So touch the air softly and swing the broom high. We will dust the grey mountains and sweep the blue sky. I'll love you as long as the furrow, the plow, as however is ever and ever is now.