"Water in motion is far from level"

[rymenhild]

I forgot this poem. I forgot that I loved it.

navelofwine, do you remember?

"Sojourn in the Whale"

Trying to open locked doors with a sword, threading
   the points of needles, planting shade trees
   upside down; swallowed by the opaqueness of one whom the seas

love better than they love you, Ireland--

you have lived and lived on every kind of shortage.
   You have been compelled by hags to spin
   gold thread from straw and have heard men say:
"There is a feminine temperament in direct contrast to ours,

which makes her do these things.  Circumscribed by a
   heritage of blindness and native
   incompetence, she will become wise and will be forced to give in.
Compelled by experience, she will turn back;

water seeks its own level":
   and you have smiled. "Water in motion is far
   from level." You have seen it, when obstacles happened to bar
the path, rise automatically.

    ~Marianne Moore

Comments

[muchabstracted.livejournal.com]

Make me turn off my computer! I'm sitting here hitting "refresh" and hoping that something new comes up that can manage to simultaneously entertain me and force me to brush my teeth!

For some reason, I felt that I'd be able to shut off the computer if I typed this. Go figure.

I really do love Marianne Moore. I need to read more of her.

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

You had better have shut off the computer by now.

If you haven't, this link will not encourage you to turn the computer off. (Thank you, cryptoquip.)

[navelofwine.livejournal.com]

Now I do. That is wonderful.

[muchabstracted.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough, I had. I will check the link out when I am back home.