Naomi Ruth Lowinsky

comes someone’s music

comes the unturned page comes the name comes the footstep

W.S. Merwin…

comes wild

the word —

who knows who

blew it in —

says it is

ocean

oar’s creak

gull’s cry

at sun’s set —

comes a pulse

knows it is someone’s

heart

lungs

liver

spleen

handclap of gypsies

footstamp of bharat-

natyam dancer

comes a certain music

does not remember

its name

whose famous old song

has broken

and entered

this house?

snatch of Sappho?

murmur of psalmist?

laughter of Miribai’s lord?

comes the old story —

night ripper —

the one about

going down

under

to visit her sister

veil torn

meat hook

death’s eye —

comes long

silence —

she says —

can be language —

there’s a music

even down here

spirit moves

shades chant

in her dream

someone is singing

the sun

back