To His Girl, to Come to Bed

   Come, my Miss come -- for rest my strength does sigh;
 Till I do strive, do I in strife so lie.
 The foe too oft, once foe has come in sight,
 Stands to, and so tires though he does not fight.
 Off with that belt, that like the sky's own zone glints,
 Though a world that's far more fair is held in it.
 Lose that bright plate that on your breast you wear,
 That the eyes of poke-nose fools may be stopped there.
 Loose your ties, for that watch you wear now chimes,
 Tells me from you that now it is bed time.
 Off with that busk whose joy I, green glared, eye,
 That it still can be, and still can stand so nigh.
 Your gown as it goes off, such sweet state shows
 As when from the mead's blooms the hill's shade goes.
 Off with that band worn on your brow and show
 The crown of hair which bright on you doth grow;
 Now off with those shoes, and then with no fear tread
 In this, a church love's blessed, this soft bed.
 In such white robes, God's own folk used to be
 Met by men -- thou, girl of God, bringst with thee
 God's realm like the Turk's bless'd state; and though
 Ill things do walk in white, yet we can know
 By this the folks of God from evil sprites:
 Those make our hairs, but these our flesh, stand high.
   Give leave to hands to rove, and let them go
 In front, in back, in there, on top, and down.
 O my New World! my new found land,
 My realm, most safe when with one man manned,
 My mine of rich cut stones, my King's hold free,
 How blest am I in this my trip to thee!
 To come in these my bonds, is to be free;
 Then where my hand is set, my seal shall be.
   O full nude state! All joys are due to thee;
 As soul from flesh, the flesh from clothes must be
 To taste whole joys.  Those gems that you dames use
 Are like the balls of she who raced, in men's views
 Cast, so that when some fool's eye sees a gem,
 His base bourn soul may lust for theirs, not them.
 Like bright paints, or like books' gay front boards made
 For lay men, are all dames in such state stayed;
 Their selves are books of faith, and it's just we
 (Whom their grace, so called, will make us free)
 Must see laid bare.  Then since, that I may know,
 As full free as to a birth room show
 Thy self: cast all, yes too this white shift hence;
 There is no sin's due for those pure in sense.
   To teach thee, I am nude first; why then,
 What needst thou have more on thee than a man?

                                -- John Donne

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