Stay, I said

to the cut flowers.

They bowed

their heads lower.

 

Stay, I said to the spider,

who fled.

 

Stay, leaf.

It reddened,

embarrassed for me and itself.

 

Stay, I said to my body.

It sat as a dog does,

obedient for a moment,

soon starting to tremble.

 

Stay, to the earth

of riverine valley meadows,

of fossiled escarpments,

of limestone and sandstone.

It looked back

with a changing expression, in silence.

 

Stay, I said to my loves.

Each answered,

Always.

 

© Jane Hirshfield

 

* Bu şiir, şairin 2011 yılında Knopf tarafından yayımlanan Come, Thief isimli kitabında yer almış, Zeynep Aygül tarafından Türkçeleştirilerek Gard-6’da yayımlanmıştır.