ON REREADING THE GREAT AUSTRIAN POET RAINER MARIA RILKE by Paul John Roach
Rilke sends a message into the abyss.
A god and a worm stir,
Blink distractedly,
Then return to their duties
Concerning the workings of
Physical and metaphysical substance.
The Master is not concerned.
He probes again and again,
Like a dentist
Seeking tenderness and vulnerability.
Sitting in the chair of perception
We try not to turn away
From that direct experience,
Or wander off into dream.
Occasionally,
The needle pierces the paper,
And light streams through,
Incandescent.
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