All the animals in the smoke
live inside each other,
romp like samba dancers,
disturb this world's night.
They are hairy beasts that swallow hearts whole,
until
you, like them, are gone.
They are an ethical menagerie
bound by no creed, freed
to step from the lines of day.
Their fears cannot be replaced.
They are feathers and long teeth.
They drift upward.
I do not imagine
this damp base of twigs will jump to flame.
However, there is a tower of gray.
Though I cannot carve it,
there is an order.
Few understand the face of the bear,
the fish, and the raven.
Or know there are more.
live inside each other,
romp like samba dancers,
disturb this world's night.
They are hairy beasts that swallow hearts whole,
until
you, like them, are gone.
They are an ethical menagerie
bound by no creed, freed
to step from the lines of day.
Their fears cannot be replaced.
They are feathers and long teeth.
They drift upward.
I do not imagine
this damp base of twigs will jump to flame.
However, there is a tower of gray.
Though I cannot carve it,
there is an order.
Few understand the face of the bear,
the fish, and the raven.
Or know there are more.
I love this poem so much!
ReplyDelete"I do not imagine
this damp base of twigs will jump to flame.
However, there is a tower of gray.
Though I cannot carve it,
there is an order."
Just lovely.
The D.Bully stole my favorite lines: "I do not imagine /
ReplyDeletethis damp base of twigs will jump to flame." Still thinking about "ethical menagerie" . . . it is abstract, but so interesting. Animals as moral manifestations. Do you know Charles Williams? I was immediately reminded of his novel, _The Place of the Lion_. Something about beasts, zoos, etc. I thought of "Panther" too by Rilke.