THE LAWN

Through the hive-quiet of the afternoon
and its unpausing sun, eyes full of the sun
upon deep hair coiled like a lamp to watch:
here each to each
held minutes out like hands
when even little things were friends.

Excellent union of content: the warm
and priestly air of winter moving calm
as friendship over us, and no cold breath
of corners; both
like garden things, brought near
by easy and unpassionate care.

And under images the words peeped out
of the mind like mice, undaring (showing-white
of pleasant shoulder from the sleeve stripped up;
intimate shape
of limb and body and stance;
paper and laughter, mood or sense):

out of our cage and weaving of small things,
our tree of talking - oh what other tongues
silently flashed like birds; what faster curve
of blood - to love
or fear - woke in me all
my strong unseasonable will!
				Zamalek