And what about the white lily
veined with black?
And the texture
of the white rose?
Helios, Athena,
I remember the white pear-branch,
the fragrance
feminine, luminous--
Vermillion sparks
and winds of mockery;
upturn god of a serpent’s tongue--
Where does the body come into it?
And consciousness,
where is it?
I remember the spring hyacinth
and narcissus;
I close my eyes to see more clearly
Where is the youthful laity
of a thousand herbs, a thousand grasses.
Tell me where does beauty sprout
among these knotted weeds?