William Stanley Merwin - My Friends

William Stanley Merwin - My Friends

My friends without shields walk on the target br br It is late the windows are breaking br br My friends without shoes leave br What they love br Grief moves among them as a fire among br Its bells br My friends without clocks turn br On the dial they turn br They part br br My friends with names like gloves set out br Bare handed as they have lived br And nobody knows them br It is they that lay the wreaths at the milestones it is their br Cups that are found at the wells br And are then chained up br br My friends without feet sit by the wall br Nodding to the lame orchestra br Brotherhood it says on the decorations br My friend without eyes sits in the rain smiling br With a nest of salt in his hand br br My friends without fathers or houses hear br Doors opening in the darkness br Whose halls announce br br Behold the smoke has come home br br My friends and I have in common br The present a wax bell in a wax belfry br This message telling of br Metals this br Hunger for the sake of hunger this owl in the heart br And these hands one br For asking one for applause br br My friends with nothing leave it behind br In a box br My friends without keys go out from the jails it is night br They take the same road they miss br Each other they invent the same banner in the dark br They ask their way only of sentries too proud to breathe br br At dawn the stars on their flag will vanish br br The water will turn up their footprints and the day will rise br Like a monument to my br Friends the forgottenbr br William Stanley Merwinbr br


User: PoemHunter.com

Views: 113

Uploaded: 2014-11-07

Duration: 02:00

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