Youth by W. S. Merwin

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Through all of youth I was looking for you
without knowing what I was looking for

or what to call you I think I did not
even know I was looking how would I

have known you when I saw you as I did
time after time when you appeared to me

as you did naked offering yourself
entirely at that moment and you let

me breathe you touch you taste you knowing
no more than I did and only when I

began to think of losing you did I
recognize you when you were already

part memory part distance remaining
mine in the ways that I learn to miss you

from what we cannot hold the stars are made


Also quite lovely in paragraph form...

“Through all of youth, I was looking for you without knowing what I was looking for or what to call you. I think I did not even know I was looking. How would I have known you when I saw you - as I did time after time when you appeared to me as you did, naked, offering yourself entirely at that moment, and you let me breathe you, touch you, taste you, knowing no more than I did. And only when I began to think of losing you did I recognize you - when you were already part memory, part distance, remaining mine in the ways that I learn to miss you. From what we cannot hold, the stars are made.”

Comments

  1. LydiaOctober 1, 2008 at 3:20 AM

    All the more meaningful in paragraph form; excellent idea to present it that way!
    Choice photo, so sweet. Are you the girl?

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownOctober 1, 2008 at 5:02 AM

    Felt I needed to change the photo(prom photo, 1970's). It wasn't me, but was so familiar because of the time period and the dress:>)
    that it hit too close to home. Wish I had kept my dresses, or at least could find my own photos.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ElisabethOctober 1, 2008 at 1:44 PM

    Catching up with my blog reading - I think it's cool that you enjoy watching "Dancing with the Stars." I don't watch it much, but my boyfriend loves it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousOctober 1, 2008 at 3:33 PM

    Wow.
    the closing line
    you will see some equal
    though none better

    ReplyDelete
  5. SanOctober 1, 2008 at 7:34 PM

    I am a Merwin fan but wasn't familiar with this one. His poems feel so light and yet are so dense with meaning.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousApril 24, 2014 at 7:57 AM

    this poem isn't by Merwin, but by Osip Mandelstam; Merwin only translated it.

    ReplyDelete

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Hey, thanks for your thoughts and your time:>)

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