someone else's muse

[artyartie]

When you see this, post a poem in your LJ



Variations on the Word Sleep
by Margaret Atwood

I would like to watch you sleeping,
which may not happen.
I would like to watch you,
sleeping. I would like to sleep
with you, to enter
your sleep as its smooth dark wave
slides over my head

and walk with you through that lucent
wavering forest of bluegreen leaves
with its watery sun and three moons
towards the cave where you must descend,
towards your worst fear

I would like to give you the silver
branch, the small white flower, the one
word that will protect you
from the grief at the center
of your dream, from the grief
at the center I would like to follow
you up the long stairway
again and become
the boat that would row you back
carefully, a flame
in two cupped hands
to where your body lies
beside me, and as you enter
it as easily as breathing in

I would like to be the air
that inhabits you for a moment
only. I would like to be that unnoticed
and that necessary.

Comments

[cygna-hime.livejournal.com]

God, I love that poem. It's so pretty. One of my forever favorites. *hearts*

sleeping

[xeiga.livejournal.com]

i knew these words, but not the poem. they were on a postcard a friend sent to me, a kind of collage of images and writing. she writes poetry, so i assumed they were her own! (it was only the first bit about sleeping.)