Fwd: Poem of the Day: Song of the Dwarf

[kelber at mindspring.com]

Keep the posts coming, Nick! We need more voices here.

Laura

-----Original Message-----

From: nick heindl 

Sent: Dec 4, 2015 3:27 PM

To: pynchon -l 

Subject: Fwd: Poem of the Day: Song of the Dwarf



Hey been lurking for awhile...today's poem of the day just seemed like something to share. Hope you all enjoy as much as I did
Peace
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Poetry Foundation" <info at poetryfoundation.org>
Date: Dec 4, 2015 10:01 AM
Subject: Poem of the Day: Song of the Dwarf
To: "nheindl13 at gmail.com" <nheindl13 at gmail.com>




    
    
    


    
        
            
                
                    
                        
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                            12 / 4 / 2015
                        
                    
                    
                        
                            
                        
                    
                
                
                
                     
                        
                                                                                             Poem of the Day: Song of the Dwarf 
                             
                                    by Rainer Maria Rilke
                                    
                                        Maybe my soul is straight and good,
but she's got to lug my heart, my blood,
which all hurts because it's crooked;
its weight sends her staggering.
She has no bed, she has no home,
she merely hangs on my sharp bones,
flapping her terrible wings.


And my hands are completely shot, 
shriveled, worn: here, take a look
at how they clammily, clumsily hop
like rain-crazed toads.
As for all the other stuff,
it's all used up and sad and old—
why doesn't God haul me out to the muck
and let me drop.


Is it because of my mug
with its frowning mouth?
So often I would itch
to be luminous and free of fog 
but nothing would approach
except big dogs.
And the dogs got zilch.


Source: Poetry (June 2011).

						
							
											Rainer Maria Rilke
					
						Biography
						

						More poems by this author
					
                                    
                                
                        
 
                        
                                                        
                                                        
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