I was dying when they found the missing piece
Two birds of four purple winds carried the piece in their beaks
I saw only for a moment the part as it fell to me
The moment created by the white underwings that terminated
The view of the part that was to enter.

I arose myself through the whites of their wings
I had no chains
I heard no master
But I immediately set about
Writing down the names of all the animals.

At night I counted the heart-beats
I did this by
Remembering one star for every heart-beat
And when I had placed a star
with every heart I heard
I was done.

Then,
By day I counted the animals
By night I counted the stars.

When again I was through I found,
There were two more heart-beats than animals
One more heart-beat than mine.

So I took myself far into the desert
Then upon a mountain
to listen to only that which is within me
Strange birds came,
That I hadn't yet named
With hearts I hadn't yet counted
And when they heard I could not fly
They tore out half my hearts
Which beat inside.

Now I only had one heart,
But again, I was dying.

And now comes the part of the tail,
Which is hard to describe
How a snake with healing oil
Coiled up inside,
And the scar healed so fast
That it never escaped -
That part of the serpent
That meant to leave last.

That is why today I have,
Within one chest,
The heart of man and the tail of a snake.

And of the birds that saved me,
From what they ate of me,
They came to nearly resemble me.

And of the purple winged birds,
They may still be in the garden to which
I have never since returned.




1982 Paris                      next->