a third body

A poem by Robert Bly

A man and a woman sit near each other,

and they do not long at this moment to be older, or younger,

nor born in any other nation, or any other time, or any other place.

They are content to be where they are, talking or not talking.

Their breaths together feed someone whom we do not know.

The man sees the way his fingers move;

he sees her hands close around a book that she hands to him.

They obey a third body that they share in common.

They have made a promise to love that body.

Age may come, parting may come, death will come.

A man and a woman sit near each other,

as they breathe they feed someone who we do not know,

who we know of, but have never seen.

About Bly


Blessings on Robert Bly

RIP 11/21/2021