THE SEA AT NIGHT
For Michael
The sea at night, all black
yet distinguishable from the sky, all black,
Close above the sea: a vertical sickle
a flame yellow waxing moon:
a chrysanthemum yellow star,
the evening star.
All in a straight line
So we wondered if this happens
every night or once a century,
We wondered while
the sea swayed, the sky shifted
the moon turned, the star slipped
and there was no time
for a photograph
no time, so we watched
sleepless through the night,
unable to lie still
unable to stop talking...
Sujata Bhatt
Monkey Shadows, 1991
translated by Maung Tha Noe
No comments:
Post a Comment