Anthem


  
and yet, there is only
one great thing
the only thing:
to live to see in huts and on journeys
the great day that dawns
and the light that fills
the world

--inuit poem


all these words you use to describe
everyday things: snow and rain, wind
and kicked-up dust in the parking lot
where you met at the movie theater, the taste
of a heady cocktail in the early afternoon.
40 words for everything, maybe more;
every day a journey, relentless light
filling the world and drawing you
onward down that edgeless road you’ve
always known to follow.

each morning brings fresh dreams, spilling
over from the night oceans where you’ve swum
with your lovers, deep in the soul of everything
where words melt into gestures, meanings, breath and touch.
you rise from there, streaked with stars and
ready for the journey
ready to learn the words again.

one day it will be too much.  you will have
seen it all, learned all you want to know, taught
what you came to teach.  you will have loved—oh
you will have loved beyond yourself
poured your heart out onto stones, wrung it dry
and then poured out more.
there are more words for love than can be counted
and you will never stop learning this.

but one day the light that fills the world
will take you into itself.
do you see? so many times already, you
were almost gone
and something held you here, a word, a gesture
an unbroken silver thread.

but on that day there will finally be no words,
only the soul of everything
only the light filling the world
only the great day dawning, and you
yes you
your edges dissolving, borderless
dawning with it.




©KB
4/29/12

Comments

  1. so beautiful

    glad there was another silver thread

    we should weave you a great twiny vine

    before we need sunglasses

    ReplyDelete

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