Hello and welcome back to the Daily Poem here in the Close Reeds Podcast Network. I am David Kern.

Today's poem is by Christina Rosetti, who lived from 1830 to 1894. Incidentally, she was born on

December 5th, 1830, and that is, well, that is the day. I was going to say that is when my son was born. That is the day that my son was born on December 5th, 1830, and that is, well, that is the day, I was going to say,

that is when my son was born, that is the day that my son was born, he was not born in 1830.

She was an English poet who, in addition to all her famous poems, including Goblin Market,

she wrote the words of two famous Christmas carols, in the bleak midwinter, and love came down at Christmas, both of which are famous to varying degrees, but I'm guessing that you have probably at least heard, if not sung, in the bleak midwinter.

She was a free Raphaelite.

If you are interested in Googling that, you can't.

I won't say too much about it here on the show right now.

But if you want to get into the various complications and controversies and ideas behind the pre-Raphaelites, by all means, hit up Wikipedia or an encyclopedia or wherever you like to look such

things up. It is certainly an interesting topic. This poem by Christina Rosetti today is called

Shut Out. And it goes like this. The door was shut. I looked between its iron bars and saw it lie, my garden, mine.

Beneath the sky, pied with all flowers bedewed and green.

From bough to bow, the songbirds crossed, from flower to flower, the moths and bees.

With all its nests and stately trees it had been mine.

And it was lost.

A shadowless spirit kept the gate, blank and unchanging like the grave.

I, peering through, said, let me have some buds to cheer my outcast state.

He answered not.

Or give me then but one small twig from shrub or tree and bid my home remember me until I come

to it again.

The spirit was silent, but he took mortar and stone to build a wall.

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