Au-Dela De Quoi. (Translation) . Poem by Michael Walker

Au-Dela De Quoi. (Translation) .

Nous essayons de prendre des destins au-dela
de ce que nous sommes habitues a connaitre
et dans le silence romantique
des promesses
nous nous apercevons chacun
la vie de l'autre
comme un mystere connu.
Partage. Mais inviole.
Pas d'attendrir. Pas d'entassement
en Un.
Nous regardons autour
aussi bien que d'un cote a l'autre
voir le monde.

Choisir, renoncer,
ceci, ou cela-
appelle-le un conseil entre des egaux
appelle-le l'amour.

- ' Beyond What'.Alice Walker b.1944. 'Her Blue Body Everything We Know', op. cit. p.234.

Thursday, April 12, 2018
Topic(s) of this poem: love
POET'S NOTES ABOUT THE POEM
This poem gives a quite different perspective on love: the two lovers do not become one; they keep their own self intact. We reach for destinies that are higher than what we are accustomed to; it is human nature.
Passion between a man and a woman is 'like a council between equals/ call it love'. To me, a dazzling ending, with the understated 'call it love' after 'a council of equals'. A magnificent piece of free verse.
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