09 September 2009

Poem Written in a Copy of Beowulf

At various times, I have asked myself what reasons 
moved me to study, while my night came down, 
without particular hope of satisfaction, 
the language of the blunt-tongued Anglo-Saxons. 

Used up by the years, my memory
loses its grip on words that I have vainly 
repeated and repeated. My life in the same way
weaves and unweaves its weary history. 

Then I tell myself: it must be that the soul
has some secret, sufficient way of knowing 
that it is immortal, that its vast, encompassing
circle can take in all, can accomplish all. 

Beyond my anxiety, beyond this writing,
the universe waits, inexhaustible, inviting. 

-Jorge Luis Borges

 I feel compelled to say, that maybe it's not the universe, but it's God. 

1 comment:

april said...

or maybe they're one and the same!