Zbigniew Herbert Light Poems
- 1. From The Top Of The Stairs
Of course
those who are standing at the top of the stairs
know
they know everything
... - 2. Daedalus And Icarus
Daedalus says:
Go on sonny but remember that you are walking and not flying
the wings are just an ornament and you are stepping on a meadow
... - 3. Lament
<i>To the memory of my mother</i>
And now she has over her head brown clouds of roots
a slim lily of salt on the temples beads of sand
... - 4. The Ardennes Forest
Cup your hands to scoop up sleep
as you would draw a grain of water
and the forest will come: a green cloud
a birch trunk like a chord of light
... - 5. The Envoy Of Mr Cogito
Go where those others went to the dark boundary
for the golden fleece of nothingness your last prize
go upright among those who are on their knees
... - 6. Architecture
Over a delicate arch--
an eyebrow of stone--
on the unruffled forehead
... - 7. In A City
In an eastern city where I wonâ??t return
there is a winged stone light and huge
lightning strikes this winged stone
I close my eyes to remember
... - 8. Prayer Of Pan Cogito - Traveller
Lord
Thank you for creating the world beautiful and of such variety
And also for allowing me in your inexhaustible goodness
To visit places which were not the scene of my daily torments
... - 9. I Would Like To Describe
I would like to describe the simplest emotion
joy or sadness
but not as others do
reaching for shafts of rain or sun
...
