THE WORLD SEEMS......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The world seems so palpable
And dense: people and things
And the landscapes
                They inhabit or move through.

Words, on the other hand,
Are so abstract—they’re
Made of empty air

                   Or black scratches on a page
      That urge us to utter
Certain sounds.

                           And us:
Poised in the middle, aware
Of the objects out there
               Waiting patiently to be named,
As if the right words
Could save them.

                               And don’t
They deserve it?    
                       So much hidden inside each one,
Such a longing
                  To become the beloved.

And inside us: the sounds
                 That could extend that blessing—
           How they crowd our mouths,
       How they press up against
    Our lips, which are such
                         A narrow exit for a joy so desperate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gregory Orr

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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