GRACE SCHULMAN
And the Lord said, ‘‘Behold, the people is one
and they have all one language… Go to, let us go down, and there confuse their
language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.’’
Genesis XI: 6, 7.
Genesis XI: 6, 7.
When God confused our
languages, he uttered,
in sapphire tones: ‘‘Let there be translators!’’
And there were conjurors and necromancers
and alchemists, but they did not suffice:
they turned trees into emeralds, pools to seas.
in sapphire tones: ‘‘Let there be translators!’’
And there were conjurors and necromancers
and alchemists, but they did not suffice:
they turned trees into emeralds, pools to seas.
God spoke again: ‘‘Let
there be carpenters
who fasten edges, caulk the seams, splice timbers.’’
They were good.
God said: ‘‘Blessed is the builder
who leaves his tower, turns from bricks and mortar
to marvel at the flames, the smith who fumbles
for prongs, wields andirons, and prods live coals,
who stokes the hearth and welds two irons as one.’’
who fasten edges, caulk the seams, splice timbers.’’
They were good.
God said: ‘‘Blessed is the builder
who leaves his tower, turns from bricks and mortar
to marvel at the flames, the smith who fumbles
for prongs, wields andirons, and prods live coals,
who stokes the hearth and welds two irons as one.’’
Praised was the man who
wrote his name in other
handwriting, who spoke in other tones,
who, knowing elms, imagined ceiba trees
and cypresses as though they were his own,
finding new music in each limitation.
handwriting, who spoke in other tones,
who, knowing elms, imagined ceiba trees
and cypresses as though they were his own,
finding new music in each limitation.
Holy the one who lost his
speech to others,
subdued his pen, resigned his failing sight
to change through fire’s change, until he saw
earth’s own fire, the radiant rock of words.
subdued his pen, resigned his failing sight
to change through fire’s change, until he saw
earth’s own fire, the radiant rock of words.
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