Friday, January 25, 2008

Yearning at the Time of Equinox


(Another piece from my "w. s. merwin days," when I didn't use punctuation, and meaning relied on line breaks and an overall impression. Was going for the gestalt, with a series of images only tentaively related.)


my hand traces
the lines of your heart

so many summers
before and after

O that love
could last like a river

sweet bird
will you sing tonight

spring arrives
with old fevers broken

in the shed is a plow
that knows love’s invitation

we come back to play
like the shadow of mountains

the rain is a harvest
and you are my rain

fall gently now
into this yellow season

fall
but be forever unbroken

6 comments:

Lane Mathias said...

Lovely. I like the 'Keats like' soft silibants. It conjures such a gentle yearn.

WH said...

Lane, glad you liked it :)

Sarah Hina said...

Such a rich longing here, Billy. Beautiful tracing of the past to present. I really want to linger inside these sweet sensations, this gentle invitation.

WH said...

Sarah, thanks--I wanted it to be understated and gentle despite the aspect of longing -:)

S. Kearney said...

This hums so nicely! :-) Love it.

WH said...

Thanks, Seamus! (I'm envious that I can't put some music to it. Still thinking of your great post!)