——–—It is late last night the dog was speaking of you;
——–—The snipe was speaking of you in her deep marsh.
———————–——Isabella Augusta, Lady Gregory
I have carried everything down and am talking to you
from the inside
It is late the dogs and the snipe were speaking of you
I carried them with me
even the deep marsh I carried it and my entire life
I have carried down the city of you
the continent the fields of corn the fields of you a grove
of olive trees moon sky wind you
I have carried the entire thing my love I carried us both down
and from here the view is really of no view
only light as a pinprick
precise as my memory in the dark
I know I have what I need and all I need is the climate
of you who are the climate of well who are
the water and stone of well
the dog the snipe the marsh the echo of you who are
you who are
I carried you I carried all that speaks all that speaks of you of you
Allison Seay is the recipient of fellowships from the Ruth Lilly Foundation, the NEA, and the Civitella Ranieri Foundation. She is the author of a book of poems, To See the Queen (Persea).
