Monday, December 5, 2011

Your Name


I want to hold your name
As a book I keep reading—
Hands aching into the night.
I want to pin it in my hair
A bright shining jewel—
Wear it round my wrist
A jangling charm.
Let it follow me adoringly
Then lead me like hounds,
Ebullient and braying,
Into the woods
Where frozen I crouch,
Your name
Like a secret
In my mouth.


May 2007

6 comments:

  1. I felt compelled to post this poem I wrote a few years ago after reading erin's post of Marina Tsvetaeva's "Poems for Blok" found here:
    your name is a

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. !!!

    oh and oh and oh!!!! i laugh and am filled with joy. perfect. perfect. indeed, we are having a conversation, jane! this is a conversation!

    can i say, i stretched a lazy arm out from the bed when i was visiting james and i found this book. i opened it randomly and found this poem. i was hit upon the head. it felt like i had frothed this poem, that it must have been mine, for surely they were my words, your name is...a
    silver bell in the mouth
    ! and here you are with words of your own so close in intention. can you imagine! holy hell, it is a wonderful world. we women must be constructed from the one same rib after all!

    i am so pleased to read your poem, a secret that should be shouted!

    xo
    erin

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes!
    I think Marina has me all beat to hell with her version; she really fleshes it out. That ending is the mystery which I want to delve into.
    Isn't it odd to read someone's words and feel them ring as your own thoughts?

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's so charming to wear a name this way, to hold it, to treasure and protect it. I think of writing the lover's name on a piece of paper too.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ruth, thank you so much for coming by and leaving a comment.

    ReplyDelete