My body once so familiar with glory,
my body has become a museum:
this part remembered because of someone's mouth,
this because of a hand,
this of wetness, this of heat.

***

It is foolish to impute pain
to the intense sky
but that is what I have done.
And I will impute loneliness
to the appearing moon.

***

Did you confuse the Messiah in a mirror
and rest because he had finally come?

***

Slaves will build cathedrals
for other slaves to burn.

***

When he puts his mouth against her shoulder
she is uncertain whether her shoulder
has given or received the kiss.
All her flesh is like a mouth.

***

She holds him closer and his own arms tighten around her.
She kisses the hand beside her mouth.
It is his hand or her hand, it hardly matters,
there are so many more kisses.

***

Now I know why many men have stopped and wept
Half-way between the loves they leave and seek,
And wondered if travel leads them anywhere --
Horizons keep the soft line of your cheek,
The windy sky's a locket for your hair.

***

With Annie gone,
whose eyes to compare
With the morning sun?

Not that I did compare,
But I do compare
Now that she's gone.

***

Out of the land of heaven
Down comes the warm Sabbath sun
Into the spice-box of earth.

***

It is strange that even now prayer is my natural language.

***

Let judges secretly despair of justice: their verdicts will be more acute.
Let generals secretly despair of triumph; killing will be defamed.
Let priests secretly despair of faith: their compassion will be true.

***

Desolation means no angels to wrestle.

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