No Exit
Here at the center of the universe
there is no movement; in the higher spheres,
however, all things turn from bad to worse,
and he is impotent who interferes.
But you and I are here, perfect, in stasis:
the Unmoved Movers, the Pleroma, who've
eternities in which no moment passes.
(Asleep, you stir. Awake, I cannot move.)
I cannot make you come, I cannot make
you come to bed again with me. In pain,
stagnant with longing, I will hold daybreak
away: Verweile doch, Du bist so schön!
-- and win a victory I did not intend:
This night, too short, too long, will never end.
Here at the center of the universe
there is no movement; in the higher spheres,
however, all things turn from bad to worse,
and he is impotent who interferes.
But you and I are here, perfect, in stasis:
the Unmoved Movers, the Pleroma, who've
eternities in which no moment passes.
(Asleep, you stir. Awake, I cannot move.)
I cannot make you come, I cannot make
you come to bed again with me. In pain,
stagnant with longing, I will hold daybreak
away: Verweile doch, Du bist so schön!
-- and win a victory I did not intend:
This night, too short, too long, will never end.
(1983-1984)
I still haven't found the remaining poems I meant to post, so I'm putting this one up. It's the last poem I completed. If the missing folder ever turns up, I'll post those poems, but for now ...
I still haven't found the remaining poems I meant to post, so I'm putting this one up. It's the last poem I completed. If the missing folder ever turns up, I'll post those poems, but for now ...
