2 posts tagged “denise levertov”

The killings continue, each second
pain and misfortune extend themselves
in the genetic chain, injustice is done knowingly,and the air
bears the dust of decayed hopes,
yet breathing those fumes,
walking the thronged
pavements among crippled lives, jackhammers
raging, a parking lot painfully agleam
in the May sun, I have seen
not behind but within, within the
dull grief, blown grit, hideous
concrete facades, another grief, a gleam
as of dew, an abode of mercy,
have heard not behind but within noise a humming that drifted into a quiet smile.
Nothing was changed, all was revealed otherwise;
not that horror was not, not that the killings did
not continue,not that I thought there was to be no more despair,
but that as if transparent all disclosed
an otherness that was blessed, that was bliss.
I saw Paradise in the dust of the street.

-Denise Levertov

I recently posted this in a reply on Amanda's post on career choice.

I really love this poem, so I'm posting it here for my future reference, and so that more people can see it.

Annunciation by Denise Levertov

What do you think?