Poems by Gertrude Stein

All Poems Original Poems Translations

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Susie Asado

Sweet sweet sweet sweet sweet tea.

Susie Asado.

Sweet sweet sweet sweet sweet tea.

Susie Asado.

Susie Asado which is a told tray sure.

A lean on the shoe this means slips slips hers.

When the ancient light grey is clean it is yellow, it is a silver seller.

This is a please this is a please there are the saids to jelly.

149

Gertrude Stein

From Four Saints in Three Acts

Pigeons on the grass alas.

Short longer grass short longer longer shorter yellow grass. Pigeons

large pigeons on the shorter longer yellow grass alas pigeons on the

grass.

If they were not pigeons what were they.

If they were not pigeons on the grass alas what were they. He had

heard of a third and he asked about it it was a magpie in the sky.

143

Gertrude Stein

Cézanne

The Irish lady can say, that to-day is every day. Caesar can say that

every day is to-day and they say that every day is as they say.

In this way we have a place to stay and he was not met because

he was settled to stay. When I said settled I meant settled to stay.

When I said settled to stay I meant settled to stay Saturday. In this

way a mouth is a mouth. In this way if in as a mouth if in as a

mouth where, if in as a mouth where and there. Believe they have

water too. Believe they have that water too and blue when you see

117

Gertrude Stein

A LIGHT in the moon the only light is on Sunday. What was the sensible decision. The sensible decision was that notwithstanding many declarations and more music, not even withstanding the choice and a torch and a collection, notwithstanding the celebrating hat and a vacation and even more noise than cutting, notwithstanding Europe and Asia and being overbearing, not even notwithstanding an elephant and a strict occasion, not even withstanding more cultivation and some seasoning, not even with drowning and with the ocean being encircling, not even with more likeness and any cloud, not even with terrific sacrifice of pedestrianism and a special resolution, not even more likely to be pleasing. The care with which the rain is wrong and the green is wrong and the white is wrong, the care with which there is a chair and plenty of breathing. The care with which there is incredible justice and likeness, all this makes a magnificent asparagus, and also a fountain.

132

Gertrude Stein

Daughter

Why is the world at peace.

This may astonish you a little but when you realise how

easily Mrs. Charles Bianco sells the work of American

painters to American millionaires you will recognize that

authorities are constrained to be relieved. Let me tell you a

story. A painter loved a woman. A musician did not sing.

A South African loved books. An American was a woman

and needed help. Are Americans the same as incubators.

121

Gertrude Stein

A Long Dress

THAT is the current that makes machinery,

that makes it crackle,

what is the current that presents a long line and a necessary waist.

What is this current.

What is the wind, what is it.

Where is the serene length,

it is there and a dark place is not a dark place,

129

Gertrude Stein

A Frightful Release

A BAG which was left and not only taken but turned away was not found. The place was shown to be very like the last time. A piece was not exchanged, not a bit of it, a piece was left over. The rest was mismanaged.

This is an extract from a prose piece in Stein's Objects.http://www.colby.edu/%7Eisadoff/map/STEINOBJECTS.doc

110

Gertrude Stein

In Between

IN between a place and candy is a narrow foot-path that shows more mounting than anything, so much really that a calling meaning a bolster measured a whole thing with that. A virgin a whole virgin is judged made and so between curves and outlines and real seasons and more out glasses and a perfectly unprecedented arrangement between old ladies and mild colds there is no satin wood shining.

Gertrude Stein

Negligible Old Star

NEGLIGIBLE old star.

Pour even.

It was a sad per cent.

Does on sun day.

Watch or water.

So soon a moon or a old heavy press.

121

Gertrude Stein

Red Faces

Red flags the reason for pretty flags.

And ribbons.

Ribbons of flags

And wearing material

Reason for wearing material.

Give pleasure.

Can you give me the regions.

The regions and the land.

147

Gertrude Stein

A Mounted Umbrella

WHAT was the use of not leaving it there where it would hang what was the use if there was no chance of ever seeing it come there and show that it was handsome and right in the way it showed it. The lesson is to learn that it does show it, that it shows it and that nothing, that there is nothing, that there is no more to do about it and just so much more is there plenty of reason for making an exchange.

131

Gertrude Stein

Rose Is A Rose

Rose is a rose is a rose.

One of Stein's most often quoted lines but usually misquoted as "A rose is a rose is a rose."Charley Noble

146

Gertrude Stein