Zbigniew Herbert - The Ardennes Forest

Zbigniew Herbert - The Ardennes Forest

Cup your hands to scoop up sleep br as you would draw a grain of water br and the forest will come: a green cloud br a birch trunk like a chord of light br and a thousand eyelids fluttering br with forgotten leafy speech br then you will recall the white morning br when you waited for the opening of the gates br br you know this land is opened by a bird br that sleeps in a tree and the tree in the earth br but here is a spring of new questions br underfoot the currents of bad roots br look at the pattern on the bark where br a chord of music tightens br the lute player who presses the frets br so the silent resounds br br push away leaves: a wild strawberry br dew on a leaf the comb of grass br further a wing of a yellow damselfly br and an ant burying its sister br a wild pear sweetly ripens br above the treacheries of belladonnas br without waiting for greater rewards br sit under the tree br br cup your hands to draw up memory br of the dead names dried grain br again the forest: a charred cloud br forehead branded by black light br and a thousand lids pressed br tightly on motionless eyeballs br a tree and the air broken br betrayed faith of empty shelters br br that other forest is for us is for you br the dead also ask for fairy tales br for a handful of herbs water of memories br therefore by needles by rustling br and faint threads of fragrances-- br no matter that a branch stops you br a shadow leads you through winding passages-- br you will find and open br our Ardennes Forestbr br Zbigniew Herbertbr br


User: PoemHunter.com

Views: 7

Uploaded: 2014-11-07

Duration: 02:02

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