To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.
A Robin Red breast in a Cage
Puts all Heaven in a Rage.
A dove house fill'd with doves & Pigeons
Shudders Hell thro' all its regions.
A dog starv'd at his Master's Gate
......
I prefer red chile over my eggs
and potatoes for breakfast.
Red chile ristras decorate my door,
dry on my roof, and hang from eaves.
They lend open-air vegetable stands
historical grandeur, and gently swing
with an air of festive welcome.
I can hear them talking in the wind,
haggard, yellowing, crisp, rasping
tongues of old men, licking the breeze.
......
I.
I said---Then, dearest, since 'tis so,
Since now at length my fate I know,
Since nothing all my love avails,
Since all, my life seemed meant for, fails,
Since this was written and needs must be---
My whole heart rises up to bless
Your name in pride and thankfulness!
Take back the hope you gave,---I claim
......
Who, if I cried out, would hear me among the angels'
hierarchies? and even if one of them suddenly
pressed me against his heart, I would perish
in the embrace of his stronger existence.
For beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror
which we are barely able to endure and are awed
because it serenely disdains to annihilate us.
Each single angel is terrifying.
And so I force myself, swallow and hold back
the surging call of my dark sobbing.
......
ONE'S-SELF I sing--a simple, separate Person;
Yet utter the word Democratic, the word En-masse.
Of Physiology from top to toe I sing;
Not physiognomy alone, nor brain alone, is worthy for the muse--I say
the Form complete is worthier far;
The Female equally with the male I sing.
Of Life immense in passion, pulse, and power,
Cheerful--for freest action form'd, under the laws divine,
......
You touch like fire,
but hold me
like something breakable.
Your words burn-
not to wound,
but to awaken.
I am undone
by the heat in your voice,
......
Je komt niet langzaam.
Je breekt open,
alsof stilte je niet verdraagt.
Mijn huid herkent je
nog voor mijn naam
zich herinnert
hoe jij klinkt.
Er is geen tussenruimte,
......
You don't arrive slowly.
You break open,
as if silence offends you.
My skin knows you
before my name
remembers
how you sound.
There is no in-between,
......
You touch me,
and time forgets its name.
The sky leans in,
carrying your breath
across the trembling earth.
No promise is spoken,
yet the leaves believe you.
They rise-
not to flee,
......
Jij,brandpunt van mijn zinderende gedachten,
ik draag je als een vlam in mijn binnenste mee.
Elke blik die je werpt,slaat vonken in mijn huid,
alsof je ogen weten waar mijn honger woont.
Mijn stem wil jouw naam roepen in de stilte,
niet zacht,maar rauw en zonder rem.
Ik wil geen afstand,geen ruimte
tussen adem en huid,
ik wil de storm zijn die je overrompelt.
......