How Do I Love Thee?
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Ode to Rain
for Texas

How do we want thee? Texas needs your showers.
Grass is brown and dry without a drop,
Because of clouds whose gift has seemed to stop,
Shriveled leaves and many blackened flowers.
A helping hand to give the land rebirth—
We want thee for your gift plants need to live,
And then, in turn, to others, life, they’d give—
From water to refresh this sandy earth.
We’re losing beauty that we thought would stay
We wanted, once again, the chance to grow
But then, you took our life’s blood rain away
And all our lovely green’s began to go
We hope that you don’t mean it when you say,
That “It ain’t gonna rain no mo, no mo.”