You only hear the lion not the loon;
Does he know about the sun-bathed circles,
The hues of the lake, its twilight twinkles?
Yes, he roars, but can he devour the moon?
I brave my dry spell, my longest monsoon;
Can’t you see my ageing brow, my wrinkles,
My darkened skin, my hands numb to tickles?
Yet, I still can snare butterflies at noon.
I still see youth on the sudden blossom,
On the new leaf still fragrant, still pale green,
I see it on the mother’s wet bosom,
On the baby’s still dreaming face, still clean,
In the wisdom of the blind, the lonesome,
Who still has stories about the unseen.