The Lathe of Morpheus; or, The dream song.

Through a series of lyrical fragments, the narrator pours out an intense, almost ritualistic address to a beloved named Bridget. The opening unfolds as an invocation, weaving together classical allusions, the language of myth, and a restless yearning that blurs the line between memory and imagination. The verses tumble over themselves like a midnight chant, conjuring images of ash‑grey curtains, basalt doors, and a phantom love that feels both haunting and radiant.

The second section drifts into the Garden of Sleep, a lush, hallucinatory landscape where jasmine, lilac, and rose mingle with strange, color‑named flowers. Here the speaker describes a jeweled princess moving among silver fountains, bronze bowls, and fluttering dragonflies, all rendered in a cascade of vivid, almost synesthetic detail. The poem’s texture is rich with plant, stone, and water motifs, inviting listeners to linger in a world where dreams and desire intertwine.