Classic Poem

That Angel burning at my left side
Harps on an old string.
And I am with you
Among the plains where white seagulls ride,
Locked in a coffin in the Siberian snow.
Hyenas howl out of the wind. Reindeer
Graze on the graves, under your sure care.

The roots of lilies probe my corpse. It shines,
A white goblet wonderfully transformed,
A lantern corpse that fills the night with signs,
- And the music of the soul makes silence alarmed.
You dim the lamp and ask the music to
Keep silent that my spirit may sleep through.

Alone, you say your prayers. You go on speaking
Into the holy sapphire. And from your hair,
Like diamonds, a chain of stars is streaking
Into the heavens - and each star is a prayer.