Variation On A Theme By Rilke

A certain day became a presence to me;there it was, confronting me—a sky, air, light:a being.

And before it started to descendfrom the height of noon, it leaned overand struck my shoulder as if withthe flat of a sword, granting mehonor and a task.

The day's blowrang out, metallic—or it was I, a bell awakened,and what I heard was my whole selfsaying and singing what it knew:

I can.