TO THE MARGIN
Following the black
footprints the tracks
of words that have passed that way
before me I come
again and again to
your blank shore
not the end yet
but there is nothing more
to be seen there
to be read to be followed
to be understood
and each time I turn
back to go on
in the same way
that I draw the next breath
the wider you are
the emptier and the more
innocent of any
signal the more
precious the text
feels to me as I make
my way through it reminding
myself listening
for any sound from you
–W.S. Merwin, from Present Company (2005, Copper Canyon Press), used by permission of the publishers. Copyright © 2005 by W. S. Merwin.
To browse through our archive of Featured Poems, click here.
To support the preservation of W.S. Merwin’s legacy and our efforts to preserve his living legacy for future generations, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to The Merwin Conservancy.
Leave a Reply