The silence of astounded souls

It's Tuesday, and I should be running this morning, but have switched my early-morning programme around this week (mainly due to work commitments) and have swam 20-lengths instead ;-)

And here's a Sylvia Plath poem - I've mentioned this 'Journals volume' before - about water:


Crossing the Water

Black lake, black boat, two black, cut-paper people.
Where do the black trees go that drink here?
Their shadows must cover Canada.

A little light is filtering from the water flowers.
Their leaves do not wish us to hurry:
They are round and flat and full of dark advice.

Cold worlds shake from the oar.
The spirit of blackness is in us, it is in the fishes.
A snag is lifting a valedictory, pale hand;

Stars open among the lilies.
Are you not blinded by such expressionless sirens?
This is the silence of astounded souls.

---

Sylvia Plath (1932-1963)