January 18: Norman Dubie, "You"

I'm tired, but I want to give you a poem on this P.O.E.T.S. Day.

This poem is by Norman Dubie, who is absolutely brilliant.  He's the kind of poet that makes me want to give up poetry because I will never approach his level of skill and music and truth.

Yes, Saint Marty is jealous.  Surprise, surprise.

You

The sunlight passes through the window into the room
Where you are sewing a button to your blouse:  outside
Water in the fountain rises
Toward a cloud.  This plume of water is lighter
Now, for white shares of itself are falling back
Toward the ground.
This water does succeed, like us,
In nearing a perfect exhaustion,
Which is its origin.  The water

Succeeds in leaving the ground but
It fails at its desire to reach a cloud.  It pauses,
Falling back into its blue trough; of course,
Another climb is inevitable, and this loud, falling
Water is a figure for love, not loss, and

Still heavy with its desire to be the cloud.

Plus, he looks like Walt Whitman...