Denise Levertov

Some people, no matter what you give them,still want the moon
The bread, the salt, white meat and dark,still hungry
The marriage bed and the cradle,still empty arms
You give them land, their own earth under their feet,still they tak...

The tree of knowledge was the tree of reason
That's why the taste of itdrove us from Eden
That fruitwas meant to be dried and milled to a fine powderfor use a pinch at a time, a condiment
God had probably planned to tell us laterabo...

Brilliant, this day – a young virtuoso of a day
Morning shadow cut by sharpest scissors,deft hands
And every prodigy of green – whether it's ferns or lichens or needlesor impatient points of buds on spindly bushes – greener than ever bef...

Long after you have swung backaway from meI think you are still with me:you come in close to the shoreon the tideand nudge me awake the waya boat adrift nudges the pier:am I a pierhalf-in half-out of the water
and in the pleasure of that comm...

The fire in leaf and grassso green it seemseach summer the last summer
The wind blowing, the leavesshivering in the sun,each day the last day
A red salamanderso cold and soeasy to catch, dreamilymoves his delicate feetand long tail
...

The Ravof Northern White Russia declined,in his youth, to learn thelanguage of birds, becausethe extraneous did not interest him; neverthelesswhen he grew old it was foundhe understood them anyway, havinglistened well, and as it is said, 'prayed w...

O Eros, silently smiling one, hear me
Let the shadow of thy wings brush me
Let thy presenceenfold me, as if darknesswere swandown
Let me see that darknesslamp in hand,this country become the other countrysacred to desire