A Substance in a Cushion

Gertrude Stein (1874–1946) · 1914

38 lines · from Tender Buttons

The change of color is likely and a difference a very little differenceis prepared. Sugar is not a vegetable.

Callous is something that hardening leaves behind what will be soft ifthere is a genuine interest in there being present as many girls as men.Does this change. It shows that dirt is clean when there is a volume.

A cushion has that cover. Supposing you do not like to change, supposingit is very clean that there is no change in appearance, supposing thatthere is regularity and a costume is that any the worse than an oysterand an exchange. Come to season that is there any extreme use in featherand cotton. Is there not much more joy in a table and more chairs andvery likely roundness and a place to put them.

A circle of fine card board and a chance to see a tassel.

What is the use of a violent kind of delightfulness if there is nopleasure in not getting tired of it. The question does not come beforethere is a quotation. In any kind of place there is a top to coveringand it is a pleasure at any rate there is some venturing in refusing tobelieve nonsense. It shows what use there is in a whole piece if oneuses it and it is extreme and very likely the little things could bedearer but in any case there is a bargain and if there is the best thingto do is to take it away and wear it and then be reckless be recklessand resolved on returning gratitude.

Light blue and the same red with purple makes a change. It shows thatthere is no mistake. Any pink shows that and very likely it isreasonable. Very likely there should not be a finer fancy present. Someincrease means a calamity and this is the best preparation for three andmore being together. A little calm is so ordinary and in any case thereis sweetness and some of that.

A seal and matches and a swan and ivy and a suit.

A closet, a closet does not connect under the bed. The band if it iswhite and black, the band has a green string. A sight a whole sight anda little groan grinding makes a trimming such a sweet singing trimmingand a red thing not a round thing but a white thing, a red thing and awhite thing.

The disgrace is not in carelessness nor even in sewing it comes out outof the way.

What is the sash like. The sash is not like anything mustard it is notlike a same thing that has stripes, it is not even more hurt than that,it has a little top.

Words in this poem

quotation n.
The act of quoting or citing. [From Quote.]

Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.

About this text

A Substance in a Cushion is in the public domain. This text is taken from Tender Buttons: Objects, Food, Rooms, Project Gutenberg ebook #15396; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.

Cite as: Gertrude Stein, A Substance in a Cushion, in Tender Buttons (1914), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #15396, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/stein-tender-buttons/objects-a-substance-in-a-cushion.html, id L28633.

About this section

A Substance in a Cushion is prose, printed in 10 paragraphs. It is part of the edition and is kept for reading, but nothing here is measured: the line breaks are the printer's, so no metre, rhyme scheme or scansion is stated.

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