Litany

Painting by Ken Kirsch


Litany


You are the bread and the knife,
The crystal goblet and the wine...
-Jacques Crickillon

You are the bread and the knife,
the crystal goblet and the wine.
You are the dew on the morning grass
and the burning wheel of the sun.
You are the white apron of the baker,
and the marsh birds suddenly in flight.

However, you are not the wind
in the orchard,
the plums on the counter,
or the house of cards.
And you are certainly not
the pine-scented air.
There is just no way that you are
the pine-scented air.

It is possible that you are
the fish under the bridge,
maybe even the pigeon
on the general's head,
but you are not even close to being
the field of cornflowers at dusk.

And a quick look in the mirror will show
that you are neither the boots
in the corner
nor the boat asleep in its boathouse.

It might interest you to know,
speaking of the plentiful imagery
of the world,
that I am the sound of rain on the roof.

I also happen to be the shooting star,
the evening paper blowing down an alley
and the basket of chestnuts
on the kitchen table.

I am also the moon in the trees
and the blind woman's tea cup.
But don't worry,
I'm not the bread and the knife.
You are still the bread and the knife.
You will always be the bread and the knife,
not to mention the crystal goblet and--
somehow--the wine.


Billy Collins

Posted over on Poemhunter