Sunday, August 7, 2011

"God's Justice" by Anne Carson


dragonfly art by marion


God’s Justice
By Anne Carson

In the beginning there were days set aside for various tasks.
On the day He was to create justice
God got involved in making a dragonfly

and lost track of time.
It was about two inches long
with turquoise dots all down its back like Lauren Bacall.

God watched it bend its tiny wire elbows
as it set about cleaning the transparent case of its head.
The eye globes mounted on the case

rotated this way and that
as it polished every angle.
Inside the case

which was glassy black like the windows of a downtown bank
God could see the machinery humming
and He watched the hum

travel all the way down turquoise dots to the end of the tail
and breathe off as light.
Its black wings vibrated in and out.

From: “Glass, Irony and God” page 49

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've posted this poem before and probably will again.  Every time I pick up this book, it turns itself to the page with this poem.  Ms. Carson is an amazing poet and I'm glad to have discovered her in the last few years.







10 comments:

ds said...

She is an amazing poet, and never seems to repeat herself. Will have to find this collection.
Love your artwork, too.

erin said...

i don't think the poem answers any questions, does it, regarding justice. i don't know that there are any answers, or at least not how we might define justice. instead there is the dragonfly.

your art is every bit as beautiful, marion.

xo
erin

audrey said...

I love your dragonfly art, Marion. The colors are beautiful!
♥ audrey

Ben Ditty said...

I like how Erin asked and answered her own question just then :-)

Also this beautiful dragonfly art. Have you published any books yourself? Thinking how wonderful a book of your artwork and own poetry would be!

quid said...

The artwork is lovely, and so is the poem....

quid

Marion said...

Thanks, y'all.

Yes, Ben, Erin is a wise women. I'm working on putting some of my poems together with my vast collection of dragonfly photos. Maybe by Christmas I'll have something done.

Thanks for stopping by, everyone. I love you all!! xo

Serena said...

Lovely poem and gorgeous Dragonfly art!
xox

Ben Ditty said...

Ooo sounds like quite the Christmas gift :D

Kelly said...

Your artwork is beautiful! What's the medium?

* said...

Anne Carson's all over my room, that is, her books. I've yet to read this one, it's waiting its turn in line.