CANTO 65 She sat in the sunlight

 

She sat in the sunlight

with eyes closed, where shadows

of cedars moved with the wind.

She saw radiant gold and sheets of red,

blood moving across the lids.

She saw darker shades

that were the sign of the wind.

She watched and knew the names

of the shades and their waving,

knew the names of many not sitting.

She asked that they might sit.

Thinking of them she let the names go.

Then she saw in all the brightness

still other light gather,

light forming a globe

that was yet sun, cedar, wind.

She knew it was light named by few.

Thinking of such names she let the globe go.

She saw radiant gold and sheets of red,

blood moving across the lids.

She saw darker shades, the cedars

moving in front of the sun,

that were the sign of the wind.

She thought of the few, and the many,

and was afraid

until she let names go and saw

in all the brightness light forming a globe

she did not name.

She held the globe without a name

and knew it held

breath, body, sun, cedar, wind,

the many and the few.

She let the globe go

thinking of what she knew.