Orion

A poem by Adrienne Cecile Rich (1929 – 2012)

Far back when I went zig-zagging

through tamarack pastures

you were my genius, you

my cast-iron Viking, my helmed

lion-heart king in prison.

Years later now you’re young

my fierce half-brother, staring

down from that simplified west

your breast open, your belt dragged down

by an oldfashioned thing, a sword

the last bravado you won’t give over

though it weighs you down as you stride

and the stars in it are dim

and maybe have stopped burning.

But you burn, and I know it;

as I throw back my head to take you in

and old transfusion happens again:

divine astronomy is nothing to it.

Indoors I bruise and blunder

break faith, leave ill enough

alone, a dead child born in the dark.

Night cracks up over the chimney,

pieces of time, frozen geodes

come showering down in the grate.

A man reaches behind my eyes

and finds them empty

a woman’s head turns away

from my head in the mirror

children are dying my death

and eating crumbs of my life.

Pity is not your forte.

Calmly you ache up there

pinned aloft in your crow’s nest,

my speechless pirate!

You take it all for granted

and when I look you back

it’s with a starlike eye

shooting its cold and egotistical spear

where it can do least damage.

Breath deep! No hurt, no pardon

out here in the cold with you

you with your back to the wall.

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Poems in English 

• A Scot To Jeanne D’Arc poem – Andrew Lang poems by Andrew Lang
• A Portrait Of 1783 poem – Andrew Lang poems by Andrew Lang
• A Highly Valuable Chain Of Thoughts poem – Andrew Lang poems by Andrew Lang
• Young Love poem – Andrew Marvell poems by Andrew Marvell
• Upon The Hill And Grove At Bill-borow poem – Andrew Marvell poems by Andrew Marvell
• Upon An Eunuch; A Poet. Fragment poem – Andrew Marvell poems by Andrew Marvell
• Upon Appleton House, to My Lord Fairfax poem – Andrew Marvell poems by Andrew Marvell
• Translated poem – Andrew Marvell poems by Andrew Marvell
• Tom May’s Death poem – Andrew Marvell poems by Andrew Marvell
• To Songs At the Marriage Of The Lord Fauconberg And The Lady Mary Cromwell poem – Andrew Marvell poems by Andrew Marvell
• To His Worthy Friend Doctor Witty Upon His Translation Of The Popular Errors poem – Andrew Marvell poems by Andrew Marvell
• to_his_coy_mistress.html by Andrew Marvell
• To His Noble Friend, Mr. Richard Lovelace, Upon His Poems poem – Andrew Marvell poems by Andrew Marvell
• To Christina, Queen of Sweden poem – Andrew Marvell poems by Andrew Marvell
• Thoughts in a Garden poem – Andrew Marvell poems by Andrew Marvell
• The Unfortunate Lover poem – Andrew Marvell poems by Andrew Marvell
• The Picture Of Little T.C. In A Prospect Of Flowers poem – Andrew Marvell poems by Andrew Marvell
• The Mower’s Song poem – Andrew Marvell poems by Andrew Marvell
• The Nymph Complaining For The Death Of Her Faun poem – Andrew Marvell poems by Andrew Marvell
• The Mower To The Glo-Worms poem – Andrew Marvell poems by Andrew Marvell

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