Monday, September 8, 2008

Midday Summer Dream: 16

Yannis Ritsos

MOTHER, don't be angry with us for not wanting to stay in the house.

The sun calls us out.

We'll dress you in a dress of roses knit by Spring herself using the tiniest beams of light for for needles beneath the almond trees. We'll set you in front of a mirror so you can look, laugh and get to know us.

Then little swallows will perch on your fingers, but still you won't laugh at this.

Mother, how can we roll away the stone blocking your door?

And yet, in the panes of our windows shines the painted face of dawn and all around like a frame the blossoming apple trees on the mountainside.

We jump out the windows.

The sky blossoms inside us smiling and wherever we stand we stand in all places.

Mother, why be so bitter, let's go into the garden so we can teach you to spell from our lesson books the alphabet of the sun and little by little you'll learn to read the flowers.

We'll toss you onto the back of a wild goose and your dress will flutter in the air like a banner high above the green fields.


from Midday Summer Dream (1938) [Collected Poems: Alpha ---pg 348-349]

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