Friday, January 9, 2009

Contentment

Yannis Ritsos

Not how there was nothing about prestige, about commendation, about the exemplary—
a sound of a key in the lock—just that sound in the night,
a thought about the shape of the key, about its simple mechanism,
and that secret meshing and obedience. Clearly it wasn’t
about prestige: if not, then what? Which quality should be singled out for praise?—
the unknown one that holds the key and the unknown door.
Perhaps only ego: when we hold that sound,
while, at the far end of the street, the old door-keeper makes his rounds completely naked
having covered his head with a white towel.

May 18, 1968
Partheni concentration camp


from Stones [Collected Poems: I ]

1 comment:

Drew said...

Scott, I haven't seen you since Jim Lenfesty's poetry reading at ArtOrg. I see you've posted daily in the new year and wonder if you and I are similarly inspired. I am working a rough draft of a daily meditation book through daily blog entries. Your blog is a treat in that I get to venture daily into poetry new to me. Thank you!
Drew
drewweis@yahoo.com
http://thewayandwisdomofwater.blogspot.com/