Light & Shadow

--Anne Waldman

Rest you by this various planet

or lounge in the sky lounge

be my guest I'll take you there

& introduce you around & show

you the sky ropes & the

city maps and the world as

flat as a map and the world

as round as a lively face

with head & atmosphere

and the sky as breath and the river

as chant and the sun as aria

aria for breathing and for loving

aria for the dancing light & shadow

light & shadow upon the dancing globe

light & shadow on the child's arms

in a park under trees & towers,

light on the fresh canvas, the painter

on the roof of West 2Ist Street

under thoughtful shadow,

shadow on spoons in the metal drawer

the zebra plant yearning for light

light for the eyes of Beethoven, shadow

inside the piano, mellow now violent

shadow out of the piano, power in the

light of the rain, sweet strings of light,

shadow under my desk, big black boots in winter,

light through friendly words

on shadowy telephone wires,

light in health & shadow in health,

illuminate moon rocks! knowledge from shadow,

light from darkest handwriting, print as light

and white paper, shadow