To have reached the Finish and found
not the peace which follows writing
but an anguish that so much remains
missing;
the neighbour’s cherry tree is weighed
down with new fruit, all for the birds –
these verses will be devoured in much
the same way;
to the fire, to the fire they will go, after
all has been written and done, to the
fire to be burnished or burned, and
what will remain
will tell me if I should run this race again.
© Ella Wagemakers, 14.14 Dutch time (= 8.14 EST in the US)