All night I dreamed of my home,
of the roads that are so long
and straight they die in the middle-
among the spines of elderly weeds
on either side, among the dead cats,
the ants who are all eyes, the suitcase
thrown open, sprouting failures.
2.
And this evening in the garden
I find the winter
inside a snail shell, rigid and
cool, a little stubborn temple,
its one visitor gone.
3.
If there were messages or signs,
I might hear now a voice tell me
to walk forever, to ask
the mold for pardon, and one
by one I would hear out my sins,
hear they are not important-that I am
part of this rain
drumming its long fingers, and
of the roadside stone refusing
to blink, and of the coyote
nailed to the fence with its
long grin.
And when there are no messages
the dead lie still-
their hands crossed so strangely
like knives and forks after supper.
4.
I stay up late listening.
My feet tap the floor,
they begin a tiny dance
which will outlive me.
They turn away from this poem.
It is almost Spring.
(Larry Levis)
More Poetry from Larry Levis:
Larry Levis Poems based on Topics: Literature, Poetry, Home, Winter, Listening, Spring, Failure, Sign & Symbol, Cats, Sin, Garden- Elegy For Whatever Had A Pattern In It (Larry Levis Poems)
- As It Begins With A Brush Stroke On A Snare Drum (Larry Levis Poems)
- The Assimilation Of The Gypsies (Larry Levis Poems)
- At The Grave Of My Guardian Angel: St. Louis Cemetery, New Orleans (Larry Levis Poems)
- Anastasia & Sandman (Larry Levis Poems)
- Elegy With A Bridle In Its Hand (Larry Levis Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Home Poems, Spring Poems, Literature Poems, Sin Poems, Winter Poems, Garden Poems, Sign & Symbol Poems, Poetry Poems, Listening Poems, Cats Poems, Failure PoemsBased on Keywords: suitcase