Now I will tell you how the will of man
is like a wave striking a stone-
a thing in-between
wave and stone
neither and both
driven by wave, stymied by stone-
the wave that came crawling from the opposite side of the world
didn't select the stone- it was there;
the stone, innocent by-stander
didn't choose the wave or offer it harsh haven-
Man's Will something in between
the fluid wave, by gravity summoned,
and the solid, anchored rock.
Now I will tell you how the will of man,
neither stone nor wave,
but something in-between,
is a thing of spume and wind
air and moving air
a wave's wish
a rock's retort
a wire dance
between urge and gain-
a glance aft at the wave,
a glance forth to the rock
an estimation, an expectation, a hash
a rainbow of bound-up raindrops
riding a span between here and where
Listen, now,
and I'll tell you how the will of man
neither rock nor wave
is something in-between, inevitably
both and neither.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem