Casida of the Dark Doves

On the branches of a laurel tree

I saw two dark doves.

One was the sun.

the other the moon.

"Little neighbors," I said to them:

"Where is my grave?"

"In my tail," said the sun.

"In my throat," said the moon.

And I who was walking

with the earth around my waist

saw two snow-white eagles

and a naked girl.

One was the other

and the girl was neither.

"Little eagles," I said to them:

"Where is my grave?"

"In my tail," said the sun.

"In my throat," said the moon.

On the branches of a laurel tree

I saw two naked doves.

One was the other

and both were neither.

Copyright World Poetry, Incorporated Mar/Apr 2005
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