Friday, May 25, 2012

Poem-A-Day: 'SILENCES' by John Montague


for Elizabeth

1
Poetry is a weapon, and should be used,
though not in the crudity of violence.
It is a prayer before an unknown altar,
a spell to bless the silence.

2
There is a music beyond all this,
beyond all forms of grievance,
where anger lays its muzzle down
into the lap of silence.

3
Or some butterfly script,
fathomed only by the other,
as supple fingers draw
a silent message from the tangible.

*

Today's poem is fromSpeech Lessons, published by Wake Forest University Press. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved, at http://www.poets.org

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