Men loved wholly beyond wisdom
Have the staff without the banner.
Like a fire in a dry thicket
Rising within women's eyes
Is the love men must return.
Heart, so subtle now, and trembling,
What a marvel to be wise.,
To love never in this manner!
To be quiet in the fern
Like a thing gone dead and still,
Listening to the prisoned cricket
Shake its terrible dissembling
Music in the granite hill.
Have the staff without the banner.
Like a fire in a dry thicket
Rising within women's eyes
Is the love men must return.
Heart, so subtle now, and trembling,
What a marvel to be wise.,
To love never in this manner!
To be quiet in the fern
Like a thing gone dead and still,
Listening to the prisoned cricket
Shake its terrible dissembling
Music in the granite hill.
Louise Bogan
Had to read this a few times before I began to understand it, and still not entirely sure if I have what the author intended, but I am very interested in the question of love, and healthy, wise love, and what I think is going on here is something of an encapsulation (if love can be encapsulated!) of the realities, pitfalls, glories and wonder of love. Thank you
ReplyDeleteisn't it more about not being loved...?
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