Thursday, September 10, 2009

Talking to Grief, by Denise Levertov


Gabriel Fauré - Piano Trio in D minor Op. 120, II
with the BannerArts Trio

Ah, Grief, I should not treat you
like a homeless dog
who comes to the back door
for a crust, for a meatless bone.
I should trust you.

I should coax you
into the house and give you
your own corner,
a worn mat to lie on,
your own water dish.

You think I don't know you've been living
under my porch.
You long for your real place to be readied
before winter comes. You need
your name,
your collar and tag. You need
the right to warn off intruders,
to consider
my house your own
and me your person
and yourself
my own dog.


vv, thank you
from poemhunter.com

8 comments:

Ffflaneur said...

i'll give hospitality to the cello "before winter comes", "to warn off intruders"

Manuela said...

yes, the cello would do that, wouldn't it, keep guard to your heart
- the filter of music.

it's good to have you visit, ffflaneur

Roxana said...

i know this poem so well and yet every time i come back to it, it is so hard to read... or perhaps even harder?

is it only me or this music is perfect not only for the poem, but for the endless melancholia of these early autumn days as well? (ah, ffflaneur, it is _that_ time again... )

m said...

no, it isn't just you - the music is haunting...

vv said...

what a lovely little community this is...
thank you..

Manuela said...

i'm glad you're part of it, vv

mansuetude said...

i have read this before, and it breaks bread ... thank you.

m said...

it breaks bread... it bakes bread, for the soul