For The Anniversary Of My Death
July 6, 2023Beggars And Kings
July 6, 2023December Night
The cold slope is standing in darkness
But the south of the trees is dry to the touch
The heavy limbs climb into the moonlight bearing feathers
I came to watch these
White plants older at night
The oldest
Come first to the ruins
And I hear magpies kept awake by the moon
The water flows through its
Own fingers without end
Tonight once more
I find a single prayer and it is not for men
W. S. Merwin
W.S. Merwin (1927-2019) was an American poet, translator, and environmental activist. Merwin's poetry often dealt with themes of nature, spirituality, and memory, and his most famous works include "The Carrier of Ladders" and "The Lice." He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1971 and 2009.