"I have asked the village blacksmith to forge golden chains to tie our ankles together. I have gathered all the gay ribbons in the world to wind around and around and around and around and around and around again around our two waists"

Harry Crosby's vibrant images in this quote paints a complex image of love, dedication, and maybe a touch of obsession. The request for "golden chains to connect our ankles together" suggests a desire for a binding, unbreakable connection. Chains, typically related to restraint or confinement, are modified here in gold, a precious metal typically linked with pureness and value. This juxtaposition suggests a relationship that is both binding and treasured, one where the speaker wishes to be eternally tethered to their partner, emphasizing permanence and inescapability in their bond.

On the other hand, the act of collecting "all the gay ribbons worldwide" to wind around their waists signifies a celebration of this union. Ribbons are traditionally utilized in celebrations and personal adornment, injecting the scene with color and pleasure. The repetition of "around" underscores a practically hypnotic, relentless way of binding, suggesting a frustrating, possibly consuming passion. This severe dedication can be analyzed as both romantic and somewhat suffocating in its strength, blurring the lines between love and obsession.

Eventually, the images of golden chains and vibrant ribbons function as metaphors for the dual nature of deep romantic entanglements-- they are both stunning and constraining. The speaker's vision of love is intense, leaving no room for uniqueness as both partners end up being braided beyond separation. This notion is both a testament to an unyielding desire to remain connected and an alerting about the prospective loss of self within a relationship. The balance between love and belongings, liberty and captivity, is a powerful theme that Crosby explores with these expressive metaphors, recording the intricacy of human intimacy.