Genevieve Taggard

From “The Way Things Go”

YOUR face from my face slips,

Lover of my lips.

Holder of my heart,

For all our close companionships

We are apart.

Apart, apart, we are apart.

Crying beauty leaves me dumb,

Your fire cold and still.

I watch the hours of morning come,

And always will,

With this dull agony in my heart—

We are apart.

Strong, solemn, stupid-kind,

Parting, we leave behind

Silence where our footsteps sound

Dead on the hollow ground.

With a singing river I used to run

Wild with wonder: now

There is no river, there is no sun,

Only an old vow.

And this dull chant goes through my head,

And this dull moan sinks in my heart:

Half of my body must be dead,

We are apart.