poem SILENCE by Marianne Moore

[البتول]

[My father used to say
"Superior people never make long visits
have to be shown Longfellow's grave
or the glass flowers at Harvard.
Self-reliant like the cat
that takes it's prey to privacy,
the mouse's limp tail hanging like a shoelace from its
mouth
they somtimes enjoy solitude,
and can be robbed of speech
by speech which has delighted them.
The deepest feeling always shows itself in silence;
not in silence , but restraint."
Nor waas he insincere in saying, "Make my house your
inn."
Inns are not residences.

[Ororitta]

Thank you

[البتول]

[Most near, most dear, most loved and most far
Under the window where Ioften found her
Sitting as huge as Asia, seismic with laughter
Gin and chicken helpless in her Irish hand
Irresistible as Rabelais but most tender for
The lame dogs and hurt birds that surround her
she is procession no one can follow after
But be like a little dog following a brass band.

She will not glance up at the bomber or condescend
To drop her gin and scuttle to a cellar
But lean on the mahogany table like a mountain
Whom only faith can move, and so I send
O all my faith and all my love to tell her
That she will move from mourning into morning

[البتول]

Most near, most dear, most loved and most far
Under the window where I often found her
Sitting as huge as Asia, seismic with laughter
Gin and chicken helpless in her Irish hand
Irresistible as Rabelais but most tender for
The lame dogs and hurt birds that surround her
she is procession no one can follow after
But be like a little dog following a brass band.

She will not glance up at the bomber or condescend
To drop her gin and scuttle to a cellar
But lean on the mahogany table like a mountain
Whom only faith can move, and so I send
O all my faith and all my love to tell her
That she will move from mourning into morning