A Ring of Changes (1959)

7/30/2019 A Ring of Changes (1959)

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A Ring of Changes

Author(s): Denise LevertovSource: Poetry, Vol. 94, No. 4 (Jul., 1959), pp. 240-244Published by: Poetry FoundationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20587526 .

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POETRY

DENISE LEVERTOV

A RING OF CHANGESI

Shells, usks, hewanderingofautumn eeds, he oiteringof curled ndoor eaves,anddry leaves oldingbya cobweb to the arkmanydaysbefore alling.Crackinghusk, fraiditmay reveal dirty mptinessafraid ts azelnut ay be green,bitter,f no account.

Seed, clingtothehardearth, ome footstepwill grind ou in,new leaf, pen yourgreen and,old leaf, all ndrotenriching ourrich rotherhood,hazelnut, nowwhen ripenesshashardened ou andsweetened ou.

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3/6

DENISE LEVERTOV

IITo shed his ake aceas a snakeskin,aperdragonthewindswill tearto dig shame p, a buried oneand tie t tomy breast(would tchange, ntime,toanornament?ould itservetobe carved ithnew designs?)

IIII look mongyourpapersfor omethinghat ill giveyou tomeuntilyou comeback;andfind: Where remydreams?"Your dreams! ave they ot nourished y life?Didn't Ipoachamongthem, snow onyourdesk?My cheeks rownred ndmy haircurlyas I roasted ourpheasantsymy nightfire!My dreams regoneoff ohuntyours,Iwon't take hem ack unless hey ind ours,they ust returnorn y yourforests.Unrememberedourdreamsmove togetherinourdarkheads,wanderin landscapesnlit your candle yeseyes f self ove nd self isgusteyes fyour oveforme kindling y coldhearteyesofmy love foryou flickeringt theedgeofyou.

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4/6

POETRY

IVAmong he all ldersf the ereaftermy ather adbecomea blissfulfoolishosehis acebeamingrom mongetals(ofsunsetink) 'opens adaisy'a rose alking, aggingt the eelsof the ise,having ounda trueorm.

vThe tree f life sgrowingin a corner f the iving-roomheld to its eamby nailsthat ncircle, ot pierce, ts tem.From itsfirsthoots, any leaves,then long, urved,ndback-curvingare tretch,andabove,many leaves, any new shoots,spreadingeft long thewall, and right,towards ourworktable.Casals' cello (a livebroadcast: heresistancesof the ivebow, the assionmanifestinliving ands, ot smoothed ut onwax)speaks rom cross heroomand thetree f life nswerswith its reen ilencendapparent tillness.The cello ishollowand the tems rehollow.The space f the ello isshaped; o otherform ould resoundwith the ametones; he tems t theirranchings-offwiden,and narrow onewgrowth.As bow touches trings,voice isheard;at the rticulationsf green, pathmoves toward leaf. here isspace nus

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DENISE LEVERTOV

but the ines nd planes f its ormarewhatwe reach or nd fall,touching othing outsideurselvesndyetstandingomewhereithin urown space,in its arkness).Buds areknots n ur flesh,odules fpain.What holdsusupright,ncewe have facedimmeasurablearkness,he lackpointat oureyes'center?ere we suspended,museum butterflies,y a filament,rom hiddennail?Has itbroken henwe begintofall, lowly, ithoutdesire?(Butwe don'tfall. he floor s flat, he ound arthis flat,ndwe standn it, nd though e liedownand fill ur lungs ith choking ustand spread ur arms omake a cross,afier whilewe rise ndcreep way,walk from ne room toanother'onour feetgain'.)Your worktableis close to the ree-nota tree erhaps,a vine.In time he eaveswill reach he pace bove it, etween he indows.Cello andvinecommuneinthe pace f a room.What will speak oyou?What notes fabundancestrikecross he iving-room,toyourbowedheadanddown-curvedack?

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6/6

POETRY

Watch the elovedvine.We can'tsee itmove.Listen, isten ..We are inthis oomtogether.ou arealoneformingarknessnto ordsdarkon white paper,I am alonewith the ense f your nguish.The tree f life sgrowing ntheroom,the iving-room,hework-room.

VIBetweenthewhite louvers, ectarinelight,nd on the arpets arthbrown,mber,entered, illed npeopled pacewith presence.From the oorwaywe sawharmoniesnd heardmeasuredcolors f light, ot quiteawake and soawaketocorrespondences. roomin a house inthe itybecame for space f fine, inely-drawn,Novembermorning, HolyApple Field.And from he able o the rimsonblanket, rom he ther, arved, ableto the shes f last ight's ire,lantedlouvered ight, assing ithouthaste.We watchedfrom he oorwaybetween leepingndwaking.Green to thewhiteceiling rew the ine.

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A Ring of Changes (1959)