For The Sleepwalkers Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABA CDE FGH FIJ IFK LMN OPQ RST UHV| Tonight I want to say something wonderful | A |
| for the sleepwalkers who have so much faith | B |
| in their legs so much faith in the invisible | A |
| - | |
| arrow carved into the carpet the worn path | C |
| that leads to the stairs instead of the window | D |
| the gaping doorway instead of the seamless mirror | E |
| - | |
| I love the way that sleepwalkers are willing | F |
| to step out of their bodies into the night | G |
| to raise their arms and welcome the darkness | H |
| - | |
| palming the blank spaces touching everything | F |
| Always they return home safely like blind men | I |
| who know it is morning by feeling shadows | J |
| - | |
| And always they wake up as themselves again | I |
| That's why I want to say something astonishing | F |
| like Our hearts are leaving our bodies | K |
| - | |
| Our hearts are thirsty black handkerchiefs | L |
| flying through the trees at night soaking up | M |
| the darkest beams of moonlight the music | N |
| - | |
| of owls the motion of wind torn branches | O |
| And now our hearts are thick black fists | P |
| flying back to the glove of our chests | Q |
| - | |
| We have to learn to trust our hearts like that | R |
| We have to learn the desperate faith of sleep | S |
| walkers who rise out of their calm beds | T |
| - | |
| and walk through the skin of another life | U |
| We have to drink the stupefying cup of darkness | H |
| and wake up to ourselves nourished and surprised | V |
Edward Hirsch
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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