comes someone’s music
comes the unturned page comes the name comes the footstep
W.S. Merwin....
comes wild
the word-
who knows who
blew it in-
says it is
ocean
oars’ creak
gulls’ cry
at sun’s set-
comes a pulse
knows it is someone’s
heart
lungs
liver
spleen
handclap of gypsies
footstamp of bharat-
natyam dancer
comes a certain music
does not remember
its name
whose famous old song
has broken
and entered
this house?
snatch of Sappho?
murmur of psalmist?
laughter of Miribai’s lord?
comes the old story-
night ripper-
the one about
going down
under
to visit her sister
veil torn
meat hook death’s eye-
comes long
silence-
she says-
can be language-
there’s a music
even down here
spirit moves
shades chant
in her dream
someone is singing
back
—Naomi Lowinsky