The Marriage, The Marriage (II)

by Denise Levertov

The Marriage
You have my
attention: which is
a tenderness, beyond
what I may say.  And I have
your constancy to
something beyond myself.
The force
of your commitment charges us—we live
in the sweep of it, taking courage
one from the other.

The Marriage (II)

I want to speak to you.
To whom else should I speak?
It is you who make
a world to speak of.
In your warmth the
fruits ripen—all the
apples and pears that grow
on the south wall of my
head.  If you listen
it rains for them, then
they drink.  If you
speak in response
the seeds
jump into the ground.
Speak or be silent:
your silence
will speak to me.

Read at St. Lydia’s on September 5, 2010