Our thoughts on this poem:
We post this poem by W.S Merwin to celebrate his being selected as United State’s Poet Laureate. He is one of our favorite poets, and this a preferred poem from his collection. As we pass through the years these verses resonate with us, particularly his last line carrying the poignant statement that we are born not to survive but to live. A very good poem when we are so exhausted from discord and dealing with polarity of thought.

The River of Bees
by W. S. Merwin

In a dream I returned to the river of bees
Five orange trees by the bridge and
Beside two mills my house
Into whose courtyard a blindman followed
The goats and stood singing
Of what was older

Soon it will be fifteen years

He was old he will have fallen into his eyes

I took my eyes
A long way to the calendars
Room after room asking how shall I live

One of the ends is made of streets
One man processions carry through it
Empty bottles their
Image of hope
It was offered to me by name

Once once and once
In the same city I was born
Asking what shall I say

He will have fallen into his mouth
Men think they are better than grass

I return to his voice rising like a forkful of hay

He was old he is not real nothing is real
Nor the noise of death drawing water

We are the echo of the future

On the door it says what to do to survive
But we were not born to survive
Only to live