Poem

Variation On A Theme By Rilke

(The Book of Hours, Book I, Poem 1, Stanza 1)

A certain day became a presence to me;there it was, confronting me -- a sky, air, light:a being. And before it started to descendfrom the height of noon, it leaned overand struck my shoulder as if withthe flat of a sword, granting mehonor and a task. The day's blowrang out, metallic -- or it was I, a bell awakened,and what I heard was my whole selfsaying and singing what it knew: I can.

~ Denise Levertov ~