Streets Poem by Naomi Shihab Nye

Streets

Rating: 3.4


A man leaves the world
and the streets he lived on
grow a little shorter.

One more window dark
in this city, the figs on his branches
will soften for birds.

If we stand quietly enough evenings
there grows a whole company of us
standing quietly together.
overhead loud grackles are claiming their trees
and the sky which sews and sews, tirelessly sewing,
drops her purple hem.
Each thing in its time, in its place,
it would be nice to think the same about people.

Some people do. They sleep completely,
waking refreshed. Others live in two worlds,
the lost and remembered.
They sleep twice, once for the one who is gone,
once for themselves. They dream thickly,
dream double, they wake from a dream
into another one, they walk the short streets
calling out names, and then they answer.

Streets
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Kevin Patrick 10 March 2016

As we pass away from the world, only out footprints remain as echoes, I think she is expressing that when we go the streets on which we live the world becomes smaller, but when we live as a collective a part of us remains within the whole and on the street. At least that's how I interpret it.

4 0 Reply
Bernard F. Asuncion 27 May 2018

Such a splendid poem by Noimi Shihab Nye👍👍👍

2 0 Reply
Mountain Man 02 February 2019

Streets at night streets at daybreak, Streets a poem of ever being.Love this poem here........

1 0 Reply
Kayode Are 27 May 2018

The symbolism of the shortness of the street we left is striking.

1 0 Reply
Sheila Sharpe 27 May 2018

I like the words Others live in two worlds

1 0 Reply
Mahtab Bangalee 27 May 2018

Some people do. They sleep completely, waking refreshed. Others live in two worlds, the lost and remembered.

1 0 Reply
Edward Kofi Louis 27 May 2018

Lost and remembered! ! Thanks for sharing.

2 0 Reply
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Naomi Shihab Nye

Naomi Shihab Nye

St. Louis, Missouri
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