Waving Adieu, Adieu, Adieu
That would be waving and that would be crying,
Crying and shouting and meaning farewell,
Farewell in the eyes and farewell at the centre,
Just to stand still without moving a hand.
In a world without heaven to follow, the stops
Would be endings, more poignant than partings, profounder,
And that would be saying farewell, repeating farewell,
Just to be there and just to behold.
To be one's singular self, to despise
The being that yielded so little, acquired
So little, too little to care, to turn
to the ever-jubilant weather, to sip
One's cup and never to say a word,
Or to sleep or just to lie there still,
Just to be there, just to be beheld,
That would be bidding farewell, be bidding farewell.
One likes to practice the thing. They practice,
Enough, for heaven. Ever-jubilant,
What is there here but weather, what spirit
Have I except it comes from the sun?
Wallace Stevens
9 comments:
I recommend reading this poem while listening to "Slow Divers" by Jane's Addiction. It really packs a wallop.
"Farewell in the eyes and farewell at the centre..."
So much can be conveyed without speaking a word. This is a mighty poem, indeed. Thank you for sharing, Reya.
I'd never seen it before. A friend knew I needed to see it. Wow.
Thank goodness for the sun. That is one heavy poem.
Gary Bradford LOVES Wallace Stevens.
I love Wallace Stevens, too - and my friend T who turned me on to this amazing poem.
i want to stay away from words that talk about this because really it would be so unkind and distracting. wow. steven
Steven please please please say more!
I love-love-love Wallace Stevens. I have a book of his poetry and pull it out now and then for a gander.
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