something else

Whatever it is hangs over us,

wants us to keep on gliding forward,

as if a compass nestled in the heart,

as if a hidden magnet were always calling to

the bits of iron which swim in the blood,

or a boat was being drawn ahead

by a canal-man, with his steady line and

unwavering eye,

not asking why, just doing it,

even on the days we awaken

amidst the ruins of the spirit,

and have nothing to offer,

except a longing for the smell of hyacinths

and something else we can't fully recall.

~ Dorothy Walters

from Marrow of Flame