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Poetry
Chaikhana
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About Denise LevertovTimeline (1923 - 1997) |
![Denise Levertov, Denise Levertov poetry, Secular or Eclectic, Secular or Eclectic poetry, Beat poetry, [TRADITION SUB2] poetry, Jewish poetry](images/LevertovD_sm.jpg) |
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Original Language |
The Fountain
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Don't say, don't say there is no water
to solace the dryness at our hearts. I have seen the fountain springing out of the rock wall and you drinking there. And I too before your eyes found footholds and climbed to drink the cool water. The woman of that place, shading her eyes, frowned as she watched‹but not because she grudged the water, only because she was waiting to see we drank our fill and were refreshed. Don't say, don't say there is no water. That fountain is there among its scalloped green and gray stones, it is still there and always there with its quiet song and strange power to spring in us, up and out through the rock.
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The image of this fountain has such rich resonance.
The water and the "dryness at our hearts."
Its water springing out of the rock wall.
Footholds allowing us to climb.
Drinking the cool water.
The "woman of that place," waiting to see how much we will drink.
And Levertov's exhortation, "Don't say, don't say there is no water." That line, to me, is the pulsing heart of the poem. Those words follow you long after the rest of the poem softens into the gossamer of memory.
It is still there and always there...
Rather than try to offer my own understanding of this poem, I'll just let these words work their wet alchemy, their "quiet song and strange power... to spring in us."
Have a beautiful day!
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Ivan
M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright ©
2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.
All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or
publishers.
