Atwood, Margaret

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <script type="text/javascript"> //OwnerIQ var __oiq_pct = 50; if( __oiq_pct>=100 || Math.floor(Math.random()*100/(100-__oiq_pct)) > 0 ) { var _oiqq = _oiqq || []; _oiqq.push(['oiq_addPageBrand','Lycos']); _oiqq.push(['oiq_addPageCat','Internet > Websites']); _oiqq.push(['oiq_addPageLifecycle','Intend']); _oiqq.push(['oiq_doTag']); (function() { var oiq = document.createElement('script'); oiq.type = 'text/javascript'; oiq.async = true; oiq.src = document.location.protocol + '//px.owneriq.net/stas/s/lycosn.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(oiq, s); })(); } //Google Analytics var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount','UA-21402695-19']); _gaq.push(['_setDomainName','tripod.com']); _gaq.push(['_setCustomVar',1,'member_name','lesdoigtsbleus',3]); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); //Lycos Init function getReferrer() { var all= this.document.cookie; if (all== '') return false; var cookie_name = 'REFERRER='; var start = all.lastIndexOf(cookie_name); if (start == -1) return false; start += cookie_name.length; var end = all.indexOf(';', start); if (end == -1) end = all.length; return all.substring(start, end); } function getQuery() { var rfr = getReferrer(); if (rfr == '') return false; var q = extractQuery(rfr, 'yahoo.com', 'p='); if (q) return q; q = extractQuery(rfr, '', 'q='); return q ? q : ""; } function extractQuery(full, site, q_param) { var start = full.lastIndexOf(site); if (start == -1) return false; start = full.lastIndexOf(q_param); if (start == -1) return false; start += q_param.length; var end = full.indexOf('&', start); if (end == -1) end = full.length; return unescape(full.substring(start, end)).split(" ").join("+"); } function generateHref(atag, template){ atag.href=template.replace('_MYURL_', window.location.href.replace('http://', '')).replace('_MYTITLE_','Check%20out%20this%20Tripod%20Member%20site!'); } var lycos_ad = Array(); var lycos_onload_timer; var cm_role = "live"; var cm_host = "tripod.lycos.com"; var cm_taxid = "/memberembedded"; var tripod_member_name = "lesdoigtsbleus"; var tripod_member_page = "lesdoigtsbleus/id211.htm"; var tripod_ratings_hash = "1728884134:96f0d82b86f867bbfa5a607f1103ce4b"; var lycos_ad_category = {"dmoz":"arts\/literature","ontarget":"&CAT=arts%20and%20entertainment&L2CAT=books%20and%20literature","find_what":"paris"}; var lycos_ad_remote_addr = "209.202.244.9"; var lycos_ad_www_server = "www.tripod.lycos.com"; var lycos_ad_track_small = ""; var lycos_ad_track_served = ""; var lycos_search_query = getQuery(); </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://scripts.lycos.com/catman/init.js"></script> <script type='text/javascript'> var googletag = googletag || {}; googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || []; (function() { var gads = document.createElement('script'); gads.async = true; gads.type = 'text/javascript'; var useSSL = 'https:' == document.location.protocol; gads.src = (useSSL ? 'https:' : 'http:') + '//www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js'; var node = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; node.parentNode.insertBefore(gads, node); })(); </script> <script type='text/javascript'> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.defineSlot('/95963596/TRI_300X250_dfp', [300, 250], 'div-gpt-ad-1450204159126-0').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.defineSlot('/95963596/TRI_above_728x90_dfp', [728, 90], 'div-gpt-ad-1450204159126-1').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.defineSlot('/95963596/TRI_below_728x90_dfp', [728, 90], 'div-gpt-ad-1450204159126-2').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.enableServices(); }); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(isV) { if( !isV ) { return; } var adMgr = new AdManager(); var lycos_prod_set = adMgr.chooseProductSet(); var slots = ["leaderboard", "leaderboard2", "toolbar_image", "toolbar_text", "smallbox", "top_promo", "footer2", "slider"]; var adCat = this.lycos_ad_category; adMgr.setForcedParam('page', (adCat && adCat.dmoz) ? adCat.dmoz : 'member'); if (this.lycos_search_query) { adMgr.setForcedParam("keyword", this.lycos_search_query); } else if(adCat && adCat.find_what) { adMgr.setForcedParam('keyword', adCat.find_what); } for (var s in slots) { var slot = slots[s]; if (adMgr.isSlotAvailable(slot)) { this.lycos_ad[slot] = adMgr.getSlot(slot); } } adMgr.renderHeader(); adMgr.renderFooter(); }((function() { var w = 0, h = 0, minimumThreshold = 300; if (top == self) { return true; } if (typeof(window.innerWidth) == 'number' ) { w = window.innerWidth; h = window.innerHeight; } else if (document.documentElement && (document.documentElement.clientWidth || document.documentElement.clientHeight)) { w = document.documentElement.clientWidth; h = document.documentElement.clientHeight; } else if (document.body && (document.body.clientWidth || document.body.clientHeight)) { w = document.body.clientWidth; h = document.body.clientHeight; } return ((w > minimumThreshold) && (h > minimumThreshold)); }()))); window.onload = function() { var f = document.getElementById("FooterAd"); var b = document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]; b.appendChild(f); f.style.display = "block"; document.getElementById('lycosFooterAdiFrame').src = '/adm/ad/footerAd.iframe.html'; // DOM Inj Ad (function(isTrellix) { var e = document.createElement('iframe'); e.style.border = '0'; e.style.margin = 0; e.style.display = 'block'; e.style.cssFloat = 'right'; e.style.height = '254px'; e.style.overflow = 'hidden'; e.style.padding = 0; e.style.width = '300px'; var isBlokedByDomain = function( href ) { var blockedDomains = [ "ananyaporn13000.tripod.com", "xxxpornxxx.tripod.com" ]; var flag = false; for( var i=0; i<blockedDomains.length; i++ ) { if( href.search( blockedDomains[ i ] ) >= 0 ) { flag = true; } } return flag; } var getMetaContent = function( metaName ) { var metas = document.getElementsByTagName('meta'); for (i=0; i<metas.length; i++) { if( metas[i].getAttribute("name") == metaName ) { return metas[i].getAttribute("content"); } } return false; } var getCommentNodes = function(regexPattern) { var nodes = {}; var nodesA = []; var preferredNodesList = ['a', 'c', 'b']; (function getNodesThatHaveComments(n, pattern) { if (n.hasChildNodes()) { if (n.tagName === 'IFRAME') { return false; } for (var i = 0; i < n.childNodes.length; i++) { if ((n.childNodes[i].nodeType === 8) && (pattern.test(n.childNodes[i].nodeValue))) { var areaName = pattern.exec(n.childNodes[i].nodeValue)[1]; nodes[areaName] = n; } else if (n.childNodes[i].nodeType === 1) { getNodesThatHaveComments(n.childNodes[i], pattern); } } } }(document.body, regexPattern)); for (var i in preferredNodesList) { if (nodes[preferredNodesList[i]]) { if( isTrellix && nodes[preferredNodesList[i]].parentNode.parentNode.parentNode.parentNode ) { nodesA.push(nodes[preferredNodesList[i]].parentNode.parentNode.parentNode.parentNode); } else { nodesA.push( nodes[preferredNodesList[i]] ); } } } return nodesA; } var properNode = null; var areaNodes = getCommentNodes( new RegExp( '^area Type="area_(\\w+)"' ) ); for (var i = 0; i < areaNodes.length; i++) { var a = parseInt(getComputedStyle(areaNodes[i]).width); if ((a >= 300) && (a <= 400)) { properNode = areaNodes[i]; break; } } var propertyName = getMetaContent("property") || false; if( isTrellix && (properNode) ) { e.src = '/adm/ad/injectAd.iframe.html'; properNode.insertBefore(e, properNode.firstChild); } else if( isTrellix && !( properNode ) ) // Slap the ad eventhought there is no alocated slot { e.src = '/adm/ad/injectAd.iframe.html'; e.style.cssFloat = 'none'; var cdiv = document.createElement('div'); cdiv.style = "width:300px;margin:10px auto;"; cdiv.appendChild( e ); b.insertBefore(cdiv, b.lastChild); } else if( !isBlokedByDomain( location.href ) ) { var injF = document.createElement('iframe'); injF.style.border = '0'; injF.style.margin = 0; injF.style.display = 'block'; injF.style.cssFloat = 'none'; injF.style.height = '254px'; injF.style.overflow = 'hidden'; injF.style.padding = 0; injF.style.width = '300px'; injF.src = '/adm/ad/injectAd.iframe.html'; if( b && ( !isTrellix || ( typeof isTrellix == "undefined" ) ) ) // All other tripod props { var cdiv = document.createElement('div'); cdiv.style = "width:300px;margin:10px auto;"; cdiv.appendChild( injF ); b.insertBefore(cdiv, b.lastChild); } } }( document.isTrellix )); } </script> <div id="tb_container" style="background:#DFDCCF; border-bottom:1px solid #393939; position:relative; z-index:999999999!important">  <style> .adCenterClass{margin:0 auto} </style> <div id="tb_ad" class="adCenterClass" style="display:block!important; overflow:hidden; width:916px;"> <div id="ad_container" style="display:block!important; float:left; width:728px "> <script type="text/javascript"> if (typeof lycos_ad !== "undefined" && "leaderboard" in lycos_ad) { document.write(lycos_ad['leaderboard']); } </script> </div> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> if (typeof lycos_ad !== "undefined" && "slider" in lycos_ad) { document.write(lycos_ad['slider']); } </script>  <div id="FooterAd" style="background:#DFDCCF; border-top:1px solid #393939; clear:both; display:none; width:100%!important; position:relative; z-index:999999!important; height:90px!important"> <div class="adCenterClass" style="display:block!important; overflow:hidden; width:916px;"> <div id="footerAd_container" style="display:block!important; float:left; width:728px"> <iframe id="lycosFooterAdiFrame" style="border:0; display:block; float:left; height:96px; overflow:hidden; padding:0; width:750px"></iframe> </div> </div> </div> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=168 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <A HREF="http://www.lesdoigtsbleus.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.lesdoigtsbleus.com"><U><B><IMG SRC="2d284450.jpg" border=0 width="132" height="69" ALT="LeS dOiGtS bLeUs" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></b></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LeS dOiGtS bLeUs Bibliothèque Poétique "><U>Bibliothèque Poétique</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LeS dOiGtS bLeUs Bibliothèque Poétique "><U>Poetry Library</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="224648c0.jpg" border=0 width="100" height="140" ALT="Margaret Atwood" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></b></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Les Classiques"><U><B><IMG SRC="2cd88180.jpg" border=0 width="136" height="24" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></b></U></A><A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Classics"><U><B><IMG SRC="2ce4e150.jpg" border=0 width="78" height="21" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></b></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Les Contemporains"><U><B><IMG SRC="2ccb2190.jpg" border=0 width="178" height="25" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></b></U></A><A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contemporary Poetry"><U><B><IMG SRC="2cfc71d0.jpg" border=0 width="199" height="29" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></b></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id138.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Akhmatova, Anna"><U>Akhmatova, Anna</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id269.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Arabian Nights"><U>Arabian Nights</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id210.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Arp, Jean Hans"><U>Arp, Jean Hans</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id106.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Attar"><U>Attar</U></A>   |   <B>Atwood, Margaret</b>   |   <A HREF="id117.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Baba Tahir Oryan of Hamadan "><U>Baba Tahir Oryan of Hamadan </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id132.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Baudelaire, Charles"><U>Baudelaire, Charles</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id259.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Behramoglu, Ataol"><U>Behramoglu, Ataol</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id102.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Blake, William"><U>Blake, William</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id215.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Brecht, Bertolt"><U>Brecht, Bertolt</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id114.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Breton, André"><U>Breton, André</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id94.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Byron, Gordon George (Lord)"><U>Byron, Gordon George (Lord)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id98.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Carroll, Lewis"><U>Carroll, Lewis</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id128.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chang Ling, Wan"><U>C'hang Ling, Wan</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id127.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chen, Yuan"><U>Chen, Yuan</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id100.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Clough, Arthur Hugh"><U>Clough, Arthur Hugh</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id131.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Coleridge, Samuel Taylor"><U>Coleridge, Samuel Taylor</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id126.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Confucius"><U>Confucius</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id125.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cosbuc, George"><U>Cosbuc, George</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id110.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cummings, Edward Estlin"><U>Cummings, Edward Estlin</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id119.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dario, Ruben"><U>Dario, Ruben</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id205.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="De Cleyre, Voltairine"><U>De Cleyre, Voltairine</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id265.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="De Vere, Aubrey"><U>De Vere, Aubrey</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id204.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dickinson, Emily"><U>Dickinson, Emily</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id217.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Donne, John"><U>Donne, John</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id122.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eluard, Paul"><U>Eluard, Paul</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id218.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Emerson, Ralph Waldo"><U>Emerson, Ralph Waldo</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id221.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Emre, Yunus"><U>Emre, Yunus</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id136.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Faiz, Faiz Ahmed"><U>Faiz, Faiz Ahmed</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id112.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Farrokhzad, Forough"><U>Farrokhzad, Forough</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id116.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ferdowsi"><U>Ferdowsi</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id111.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gay, John"><U>Gay, John</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id185.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gibran, Khalil"><U>Gibran, Khalil</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id242.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ginsberg, Allen"><U>Ginsberg, Allen</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id203.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von"><U>Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id105.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hafiz"><U>Hafiz</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id97.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Herrick, Robert"><U>Herrick, Robert</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id135.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hikmet, Nazim"><U>Hikmet, Nazim</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id195.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Homer"><U>Homer</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id146.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hughes, Langston"><U>Hughes, Langston</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id129.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hung, Han"><U>Hung, Han</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id118.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jamal, Mo"><U>Jamal, Mo</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id243.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jones, LeRoi"><U>Jones, LeRoi</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id115.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Keats, John"><U>Keats, John</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id91.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Kipling, Rudyard"><U>Kipling, Rudyard</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id120.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Kushrau, Amir"><U>Kushrau, Amir</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id123.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lawson, Henry"><U>Lawson, Henry</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id103.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lennon, John"><U>Lennon, John</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id189.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Levertov, Denise"><U>Levertov, Denise</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id197.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lindsay, Vachel"><U>Lindsay, Vachel</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id191.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mayakovsky, Vladimir"><U>Mayakovsky, Vladimir</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id140.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Milligan, Spike"><U>Milligan, Spike</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id137.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mistral, Gabriela"><U>Mistral, Gabriela</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id208.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Morrisson, Jim"><U>Morrisson, Jim</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id134.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Neruda, Pablo"><U>Neruda, Pablo</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id261.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="OShaughnessy, Arthur"><U>O'Shaughnessy, Arthur</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id227.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Parker, Dorothy"><U>Parker, Dorothy</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id124.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Paterson, Andrew Barton Banjo"><U>Paterson, Andrew Barton "Banjo"</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id133.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Paz, Octavio"><U>Paz, Octavio</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id226.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Plath, Sylvia"><U>Plath, Sylvia</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id130.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Poe, Edgar Allen"><U>Poe, Edgar Allen</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id109.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Pope, Alexander"><U>Pope, Alexander</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id219.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rilke, Rainer Maria"><U>Rilke, Rainer Maria</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id104.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rumi, DjalaludDin"><U>Rumi, Djalal-ud-Din</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id181.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Saales, Akhavan"><U>Saales, Akhavan</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id113.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Scott, F.R."><U>Scott, F.R.</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id95.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sepehri, Sohrab"><U>Sepehri, Sohrab</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id108.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shakespeare, William"><U>Shakespeare, William</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id187.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shamlu, Ahmad"><U>Shamlu, Ahmad</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id139.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shelley, Percy Bysshe"><U>Shelley, Percy Bysshe</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id107.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sheridan, Richard B."><U>Sheridan, Richard B.</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id101.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tennyson, Alfred"><U>Tennyson, Alfred</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id194.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Thomas, Dylan"><U>Thomas, Dylan</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id121.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Turold"><U>Turold</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id260.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Veli Kanik, Ohran"><U>Veli Kanik, Ohran</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id96.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Whitman, Walt"><U>Whitman, Walt</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id99.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wilde, Oscar"><U>Wilde, Oscar</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id244.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Williams, William Carlos"><U>Williams, William Carlos</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id93.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wordsworth, William"><U>Wordsworth, William</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id92.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Yeats, William Butler"><U>Yeats, William Butler</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id241.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Yushij, Nima"><U>Yushij, Nima</U></A></div> <bR> <div> Atwood, Margaret</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>The Moment </b></div> <bR> <div> <B>The moment when, after many years</b></div> <div> <B>of hard work and a long voyage</b></div> <div> <B>you stand in the centre of your room,</b></div> <div> <B>house, half-acre, square mile, island, country,</b></div> <div> <B>knowing at last how you got there,</b></div> <div> <B>and say, I own this,</b><B> </b></div> <div> <B>is the same moment when the trees unloose</b></div> <div> <B>their soft arms from around you,</b></div> <div> <B>the birds take back their language,</b></div> <div> <B>the cliffs fissure and collapse,</b></div> <div> <B>the air moves back from you like a wave</b></div> <div> <B>and you can't breathe.</b><B> </b></div> <div> <B>No, they whisper. You own nothing.</b></div> <div> <B>You were a visitor, time after time</b></div> <div> <B>climbing the hill, planting the flag, proclaiming.</b></div> <div> <B>We never belonged to you.</b></div> <div> <B>You never found us.</b></div> <div> <B>It was always the other way round. </b></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>---------------------------------------------------------------------</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>A Sad Child </b></div> <bR> <div> <B> </b></div> <div> <B>You're sad because you're sad.</b></div> <div> <B>It's psychic. It's the age. It's chemical.</b></div> <div> <B>Go see a shrink or take a pill,</b></div> <div> <B>or hug your sadness like an eyeless doll</b></div> <div> <B>you need to sleep.</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>Well, all children are sad</b></div> <div> <B>but some get over it.</b></div> <div> <B>Count your blessings. Better than that,</b></div> <div> <B>buy a hat. Buy a coat or pet.</b></div> <div> <B>Take up dancing to forget.</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>Forget what?</b></div> <div> <B>Your sadness, your shadow,</b></div> <div> <B>whatever it was that was done to you</b></div> <div> <B>the day of the lawn party</b></div> <div> <B>when you came inside flushed with the sun,</b></div> <div> <B>your mouth sulky with sugar,</b></div> <div> <B>in your new dress with the ribbon</b></div> <div> <B>and the ice-cream smear,</b></div> <div> <B>and said to yourself in the bathroom,</b></div> <div> <B>I am not the favorite child.</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>My darling, when it comes</b></div> <div> <B>right down to it</b></div> <div> <B>and the light fails and the fog rolls in</b></div> <div> <B>and you're trapped in your overturned body</b></div> <div> <B>under a blanket or burning car,</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>and the red flame is seeping out of you</b></div> <div> <B>and igniting the tarmac beside you head</b></div> <div> <B>or else the floor, or else the pillow,</b></div> <div> <B>none of us is;</b></div> <div> <B>or else we all are. </b></div> <bR> <div> <B>------------------------------------------------------------------</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>Night Poem </b></div> <bR> <div> <B> </b></div> <div> <B>There is nothing to be afraid of,</b></div> <div> <B>it is only the wind</b></div> <div> <B>changing to the east, it is only</b></div> <div> <B>your father the thunder</b></div> <div> <B>your mother the rain</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>In this country of water</b></div> <div> <B>with its beige moon damp as a mushroom,</b></div> <div> <B>its drowned stumps and long birds</b></div> <div> <B>that swim, where the moss grows</b></div> <div> <B>on all sides of the trees</b></div> <div> <B>and your shadow is not your shadow</b></div> <div> <B>but your reflection,</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>your true parents disappear</b></div> <div> <B>when the curtain covers your door.</b></div> <div> <B>We are the others,</b></div> <div> <B>the ones from under the lake</b></div> <div> <B>who stand silently beside your bed</b></div> <div> <B>with our heads of darkness.</b></div> <div> <B>We have come to cover you</b></div> <div> <B>with red wool,</b></div> <div> <B>with our tears and distant whipers.</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>You rock in the rain's arms</b></div> <div> <B>the chilly ark of your sleep,</b></div> <div> <B>while we wait, your night</b></div> <div> <B>father and mother</b></div> <div> <B>with our cold hands and dead flashlight,</b></div> <div> <B>knowing we are only</b></div> <div> <B>the wavering shadows thrown</b></div> <div> <B>by one candle, in this echo</b></div> <div> <B>you will hear twenty years later. </b></div> <bR> <div> <B>---------------------------------------------------</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>Siren Song </b></div> <bR> <div> <B>This is the one song everyone</b></div> <div> <B>would like to learn: the song</b></div> <div> <B>that is irresistible:</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>the song that forces men</b></div> <div> <B>to leap overboard in squadrons</b></div> <div> <B>even though they see beached skulls</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>the song nobody knows</b></div> <div> <B>because anyone who had heard it</b></div> <div> <B>is dead, and the others can’t remember.</b></div> <div> <B>Shall I tell you the secret</b></div> <div> <B>and if I do, will you get me</b></div> <div> <B>out of this bird suit?</b></div> <div> <B>I don’t enjoy it here</b></div> <div> <B>squatting on this island</b></div> <div> <B>looking picturesque and mythical</b></div> <div> <B>with these two feathery maniacs,</b></div> <div> <B>I don’t enjoy singing</b></div> <div> <B>this trio, fatal and valuable.</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>I will tell the secret to you,</b></div> <div> <B>to you, only to you.</b></div> <div> <B>Come closer. This song</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>is a cry for help: Help me!</b></div> <div> <B>Only you, only you can,</b></div> <div> <B>you are unique</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>at last. Alas</b></div> <div> <B>it is a boring song</b></div> <div> <B>but it works every time. </b></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>