On Tiptoe
Nothing stays anymore
between my ten fingers
A vanishing shadow
At the center
a footstep
Choke off the voice that rises too high
That moaned and wouldn't die
That went too fast
It was who put a stop to this magnificent ardor
Hope and my pride
have passed on the wind
The leaves fell
while the birds were counting
the drops of water
The lamps went out behind the curtains
Not so fast
Be careful you'll break everything with so much noise
Perspective
Did the same
Car carry me away
I see where you came from
You turn your head
Midnight
On the moon
Just struck
At the street corner
Everything is turned around
I saw her face
Even her hands
The last star
Is in the garden
Just like the first
Think of tomorrow
Where will they be
The thoughtless dead
When the wall vanishes
The sky will fall
The World Before Me
Some time ago
Clear night
New sunrise
Next day
An old man on his knees holds out his hands
Animals ran all along the road
I sat me down
I have dreamed
A window opens on my head
Nobody home
A man goes by behind the hedge
The countryside where a single bird sings
Somebody is afraid
Somebody is amused
Down there between two little children
Joy
You against me
Rain washes away tears
You can't walk the narrow path
You go back the same way
There is a gate
Something just fe;;
Down behind there
His shadow bigger than himself
goes around the earth
And me I just sit there and don't dare look
__________________
Pierre Reverdy
Selected Poems
Translated by Kenneth Rexroth
New Directions, 1969
Around midnight, on hands & knees, I pulled
this old friend up off the bottom shelf and began
to read and instead of reading on and on I put in the
bookmark to save for the next night and the next. . .
