A
n n e W a l d m a n : K e e p i n g T h e W o r l d
S a f e F o r P o e t r y
N
a p a l m H e a l t h S p a : R
e p o r t 2 0 1 5 : S p e c i a l E d i t i o n
ELIOT WEINBERGER
From a Hymn to the Goddess of the Three Cities
for
Anne Waldman
O speck of dust from your lotus feet
O island city of the sun
O waterfall of ghee
O bow made of flowers
O bowstring of bees
O daughter of snow mountain
O coral-tree blossom
O necklace of wishing-jewels
O forest of wishing-trees
O refuge from the world
O lotus of a thousand petals
O full-blown blue lotus
O moon of musk
O liquid drop from a moonstone
O world drinking moonlight
A waterfall of nectar falls from the
flowers of the mind
O eyes as shy as a forest deer
O body slender as a lightning bolt
O streak of vermillion in the part of
your hair
O curling hair beautiful as young bees
O hair untied and flowing
O forehead like a second half-moon
O eyebrows slightly arched
O eyes like bees
(Day dawns in your right eye
Night falls in your left
and your third eye is the twilight)
O feathery eyelashes disrupting
tranquility
The world is created when you open your
eyes
and dissolves when you close them
O the three creases in your neck
O your four arms soft and slender as the
filament of a lotus
O the loveliness of your hands
O your breasts like ruby jars of nectar
O the clothes slipping from your breasts
O the sweating curves of your breasts
O the deep pool of your navel
O the line of abdominal hair like a
ripple on a river
O your thighs like golden plantain stalks
O your well-rounded knees
O the soft jangle of your anklets
O the streams of nectar flowing between
your feet
O your lotus feet set upon my head
The morning sun opens lotus clusters in
the minds of great poets
bright as moonstone slivers sweet as milk and ghee sweet
as the lotus fragrance of the mouth of
the Queen of Speech
and your earrings slightly jangle as you
listen and nod your head
keeping time in wonder and delight your shining earrings
like little moons reflecting the
brightness of your cheeks
You are mind you are space you are the
wind and the fire the wind carries
You are the waters and the earth there is nothing more
This lightless world is flooded with your
radiance