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| From the book Stellae and Inscriptions | (1982)
To Nina Braginskaya
who has studied antique epitaphs, and much else, insightfully
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| Two Figures | Brother and sister? husband and wife?
daughter and father? all that and more?
Which of them died, who is alive
to order this slab,
a monument to meeting?
Who wanted whom to remember
at parting? not meekly, not greedily.
One doesn’t have to remember much: we can’t take a lot.
Native earth, just a handful, in an alien land – that is enough.
The rest will remain where it feels right at home.
An attentive glance, death, you won’t take away
the legitimate handful
from the one who is leaving, still grieving for us. Who is that leaving?
who, having pined during long separation, just barely
will finally touch the dear hand? –
shadow to shadow, past to past,
pale to pale. What do they say there?
They are saying:
– It’s like that.
– I swear that it’s like that.
–It was and it will be,
even if it won’t be. Like that.
O, passerby, love life.
Offer thanks for it. Spirits don’t need much:
a monument to meeting.
Andrew Wachtel
***
Two Figures
Brother and sister? husband and wife? daughter and father?
all these and more?
Which of them died, which lives
and ordered this gravestone,
a monument to meeting?
Who wants to remember whom at parting?
not timidly, not greedily. To remember,
but not much; we can’t bear much:
a handful of native earth in another land – that’s plenty.
The rest will stay where it feels at home.
An attentive glance, Death, you wouldn’t snatch –
the legitimate handful
from the one who’s leaving, sad for us. Who is leaving?
Who, after yearning through a long separation, finally
touches the dear hand? –
Shadow to shadow, past to past,
white to white. What are they talking about there?
They say:
– That’s how it is.
– I swear, that’s how it is.
– That’s how it was and how it will be,
even if it won’t be. Like that.
Passer-by, love your life,
give thanks for it. Shadow doesn’t need much:
a monument to meeting.
Roy Fisher | |
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