Rain Light
All day the stars watch from long ago
my mother said I am going now
when you are alone you will be all right
whether or not you know you will know
look at the old house in the dawn rain
all the flowers are forms of water
the sun reminds them through a white cloud
touches the patchwork spread on the hill
the washed colors of the afterlife
that lived there long before you were born
see how they wake without a question
even though the whole world is burning
my mother said I am going now
when you are alone you will be all right
whether or not you know you will know
look at the old house in the dawn rain
all the flowers are forms of water
the sun reminds them through a white cloud
touches the patchwork spread on the hill
the washed colors of the afterlife
that lived there long before you were born
see how they wake without a question
even though the whole world is burning
—W. S. Merwin (2008)
And here is the poet reciting the poem:
I present this today simply because I admire Merwin and because it's still raining here. In other words, I googled W. S. Merwin + rain. This was one of three results. No deeper message or meaning. I couldn't even say why I settled on Merwin specifically; he just popped into my head. It's been a long day (not because of rain), and sometimes I just want a quick and easy post. Merwin offers a few remarks about the poem here, if you're interested.
1 comment:
Thanks for this apt tribute- love Merwin. Just off the phone w. my sister in Fairfield. Days & days in rain. Here in VA, its gray & cold. Merwin’s reading makes it all a bit more bearable.
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