Thanks
Listen
with the night falling we are saying thank you
we are stopping on the bridges to bow for the railings
we are running out of the glass rooms
with our mouths full of food to look at the sky
and say thank you
we are standing by the water looking out
in different directions.back from a series of hospitals back from a mugging
after funerals we are saying thank you
after the news of the dead
whether or not we knew them we are saying thank you
looking up from tables we are saying thank you
in a culture up to its chin in shame
living in the stench it has chosen we are saying thank youover telephones we are saying thank you
in doorways and in the backs of cars and in elevators
remembering wars and the police at the back door
and the beatings on stairs we are saying thank you
in the banks that use us we are saying thank you
with the crooks in office with the rich and fashionable
unchanged we go on saying thank you thank youwith the animals dying around us
our lost feelings we are saying thank you
with the forests falling faster than the minutes
of our lives we are saying thank you
with the words going out like cells of a brain
with the cities growing over us like the earth
we are saying thank you faster and faster
with nobody listening we are saying thank you
we are saying thank you and waving
dark though it is–W.S. Merwin
Thank you Elissa.
I am without words. You are a beautiful human being Elissa.
And when it matters only to our own heart, we say thank you again..
Elissa:
Thank you for such a moving and appropriate post.
Donna
He was stolen from us who love him so much and taken way too early. We are not ready to let him go. If only we could have reached out a hand and lifted him up above that which was taking him down….. Precious man, precious father to his children, precious husband and he came and stole our hearts….and we just can’t imagine life without him….our dear Robin.
Merwin knows the pain. I suspect you do as well.
Have always loved Merwin’s poetry and this is absolutely pitch perfect. Such a loss and so hard to comprehend. I’ve been struck by how *every* person who speaks about an encounter with Robin Williams touches upon his warmth, kindness and generosity of spirit. Would that he could have fully felt how much he was loved and admired in his darkest hour. Thank you indeed for the time you shared with the world….
The only remedy for the sadness is gratitude and the on-going existence of beauty. Thank you so much for sharing both.
thank you. as others have said it is through gratitude and taking the time to recognize the little beautiful things/experiences that surround us that allows a way to cope with the sadness and losses.
Have not been able to find the words. You did, and thank you.
Thank you Elissa . . . . Merwin’s poetry captures what I suspect mid-life feels like to many of us. And, in the midst, its good to say thank you and good bye. I’ve found it interesting to see the world react to the suicide death of a gifted person who gave so much to us. He’s left us one last gift to get us talking about the pain that many people live with . . . whether depressed or the friends and family of the depressed. For those of us who’ve been there — its good to have few more people understand. Thanks again for your post. And, it reminds me that its time to add more of Merwin’s books to my shelves.
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