A poem by Adrienne Cecile Rich (1929 – 2012)
When the ice starts to shiver
all across the reflecting basin
or water-lily leaves
dissect a simple surface
the word ‘drowning’ flows through me.
You built a glassy floor
that held me
as I leaned to fish for old
hooks and toothed tin cans,
stems lashing out like ties of
silk dressing-gowns
archangels of lake-light
gripped in mud.
Now you hand me a torn letter.
On my knees, in the ashes, I could never
fit these ripped-up flakes together.
In the taxi I am still piecing
what syllables I can
translating at top speed like a thinking machine
that types out ‘useless’ as ‘monster’
and ‘history’ as ‘lampshade’.
Crossing the bridge I need all my nerve
to trust to the man-made cables.
The blades on that machine
could cut you to ribbons
but its function is humane.
Is this all I can say of these
delicate books, scythe-curved intentions
you and I handle? I’d rather
taste blood, yours or mine, flowing
from a sudden slash, than cut all day
with blunt scissors on dotted lines
like the teacher told.
A few random poems:
- In Memoriam A. H. H.: 82. I wage not any feud with death poem – Lord Alfred Tennyson poems
- Jerusalem Delivered – Book 01 – part 03 by Torquato Tasso
- A Song at Weicheng. by Wang Wei
- Омар Хайям – Бросать не стоит в будущее взгляд
- An Insolent Jew
- Io v’amo sol perche (I Love You Simply Because) by Torquato Tasso
- The Foreigner poem – Amy Lowell poems | Poems and Poetry
- Иван Дмитриев – Шарлатан
- To Ellen Terry poem – Alfred Austin
- Олег Бундур – Запахи дня
- Olney Hymn 9: The Contrite Heart by William Cowper
- Ольга Седакова – Вода-крестьянка
- Carrion Comfort poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems
- The Princess: A Medley: Tears, Idle Tears poem – Lord Alfred Tennyson poems
- Шекспир – Запечатленный в слове лик твой милый – Сонет 59
External links
Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus
Talking Writing Monster’s Page –
Batty Writing – the bat’s idle chatter, thoughts, ideas and observations, all original, all fresh
Poems in English
- Commemoration of Rodney’s Victory by Robert Burns
- Coming Through The Rye by Robert Burns
- Caledonia: A Ballad by Robert Burns
- Burlesque Lament fo Wm. Creech’s Absence by Robert Burns
- Bonnie Lesley by Robert Burns
- Bonie Jean: A Ballad by Robert Burns
- Boat Song—Hey, Ca’ Thro’ by Robert Burns
- Birthday Ode for 31st December, 1787 by Robert Burns
- Ballad on the American War by Robert Burns
- Ballad on Mr. Heron’s Election—No. 4 by Robert Burns
- Ballad on Mr. Heron’s Election—No. 3 by Robert Burns
- Ballad on Mr. Heron’s Election—No. 2 by Robert Burns
- Ballad on Mr. Heron’s Election—No. 1 by Robert Burns
- Auld Lang Syne by Robert Burns
- Apology to Mr. Syme for not dining with him by Robert Burns
- Another on the said Occasion by Robert Burns
- Ah, woe is me, my Mother dear by Robert Burns
- Ae Fond Kiss, And Then We Sever by Robert Burns
- Address to Wm. Tytler, Esq., of Woodhouselee by Robert Burns
- Address to the Unco Guid by Robert Burns
More external links (open in a new tab):
Doska or the Board – write anything
Search engines:
Yandex – the best search engine for searches in Russian (and the best overall image search engine, in any language, anywhere)
Qwant – the best search engine for searches in French, German as well as Romance and Germanic languages.
Ecosia – a search engine that supposedly… plants trees
Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.
Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.
Parallel Translations of Poetry
The Poetry Repository – an online library of poems, poetry, verse and poetic works
Adrienne Cecile Rich (1929 – 2012) was an American poet, essayist, and feminist.