The Dream of Narcissus (by Michael Palmer)

The Dream of Narcissus (by Michael Palmer)

1The dream of Narcissus,
2that there would be a silence loud as time
3The dream of the writer,
4that there could be a silence loud as time
5The dream of time,
6that rest might come
7The dream of rest,
8that unrest might arise
9The dream of the palm,
10that pilgrims would enter the village
11The dream of the village,
12that they depart with their fronds
13And the house dreaming of its leveling,
14and the exile of his well
15The dream of night,
16that the day would be purified
17The dream of day,
18that the dark would be lifted
19And the dream of the dream,
20but who’s to speak of this
Publication Notes
Michael Palmer, Company of Moths (New York: New Directions, 2005). This poem is reproduced on the Griffin Prize Web Site (from a volume on the 2006 International Shortlist).
RPO poem Editors
Ian Lancashire
RPO Edition
2011