Moonless Night by Louise Gluck
Created | Updated Mar 7, 2005
<I>MOONLESS NIGHT</I>
<BR/><BR/>
A lady weeps at a dark window:<BR/>
Must we say what it is? Can't we simply say<BR/>
a personal matter? It's early summer;<BR/>
next door the Lights are practising klezmer music.<BR/>
A good night: the clarinet is in tune. <BR/><BR/>
As for the lady-- she's going to wait forever;<BR/>
there's no point in watching longer.<BR/>
After awhile, the streetlight goes out. <BR/><BR/>
But is waiting forever<BR/>
always the answer? Nothing<BR/>
is always the answer; the answer<BR/>
depends on the story.<BR/><BR/>
Such a mistake to want<BR/>
clarity above all things. What's<BR/>
a single night, especially<BR/>
one like this, now so close to ending?<BR/>
On the other side, there could be anything,<BR/>
all the joy in the world, the stars fading,<BR/>
the streetlight becoming a bus stop. <BR/><BR/>
<BR/><BR/>
~Louise Gluck, 1996
<BR/><BR/>
This poem takes on more and more meaning every time I read it...<BR/> just... a beautiful example of modern poetry... it comes from Gluck's<BR/> collection of poetry called "Meadowlands", inspired by "The Odyssey"<BR/> and a modern marriage in crisis. <BR/>Bless that woman for creating poetry.
<BR/><BR/>
A lady weeps at a dark window:<BR/>
Must we say what it is? Can't we simply say<BR/>
a personal matter? It's early summer;<BR/>
next door the Lights are practising klezmer music.<BR/>
A good night: the clarinet is in tune. <BR/><BR/>
As for the lady-- she's going to wait forever;<BR/>
there's no point in watching longer.<BR/>
After awhile, the streetlight goes out. <BR/><BR/>
But is waiting forever<BR/>
always the answer? Nothing<BR/>
is always the answer; the answer<BR/>
depends on the story.<BR/><BR/>
Such a mistake to want<BR/>
clarity above all things. What's<BR/>
a single night, especially<BR/>
one like this, now so close to ending?<BR/>
On the other side, there could be anything,<BR/>
all the joy in the world, the stars fading,<BR/>
the streetlight becoming a bus stop. <BR/><BR/>
<BR/><BR/>
~Louise Gluck, 1996
<BR/><BR/>
This poem takes on more and more meaning every time I read it...<BR/> just... a beautiful example of modern poetry... it comes from Gluck's<BR/> collection of poetry called "Meadowlands", inspired by "The Odyssey"<BR/> and a modern marriage in crisis. <BR/>Bless that woman for creating poetry.
