Happiness | A poem by Louise Gluck, 1980

1
Happiness | A poem by Louise Gluck, 1980
Eugène Delacroix, Unmade Bed , c 1824-28
.

A man and a woman lie on a white bed.
It is morning. I think
Soon they will waken.
On the bedside table is a vase
of lilies; sunlight
pools in their throats.
I watch him turn to her
as though to speak her name
but silently, deep in her mouth–
At the window ledge,
once, twice,
a bird calls.
And then she stirs; her body
fills with his breath.

I open my eyes; you are watching me.
Almost over this room
the sun is gliding.
Look at your face, you say,
holding your own close to me
to make a mirror.
How calm you are. And the burning wheel
passes gently over us.

Louise Gluck, Happiness, 1980

 
 
Joseph2BMallord2BWilliam2BTurner2B25E2258025A22Bc.1834252C2B25C225ABA2BCurtained2BBed252C2Bwith2BNaked2BReclining2BFigures25C225BB2B2528collage252C2Bdetail25292B252832529
Joseph Mallord William Turner, A Curtained Bed, with Naked Reclining Figures, c 1834 
 

1 thought on “Happiness | A poem by Louise Gluck, 1980

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *