What Were They Like?
by Denise Levertov
1) Did the people of Viet Nam *anaphora
use lanterns of stone?
2) Did they hold ceremonies *generic term / objectification
to reverence the opening of buds?
3) Were they inclined to quiet laughter?
4) Did they use bone and ivory, *foreshadows “all the bones were charred”
jade and silver, for ornament?
5) Had they an epic poem?
6) Did they distinguish between speech and singing?
1) Sir, their light hearts turned to stone.
It is not remembered whether in gardens *anaphora
stone lanterns illumined pleasant ways.
2) Perhaps they gathered once to delight in blossom,
but after their children were killed
there were no more buds.
3) Sir, laughter is bitter to the burned mouth.
4) A dream ago, perhaps. Ornament is for joy.
All the bones were charred.
5) It is not remembered. Remember, *the imperative
most were peasants; their life
was in rice and bamboo.
When peaceful clouds were reflected in the paddies *their lives were steeped in
and the water buffalo stepped surely along terraces, the natural world
maybe fathers told their sons old tales.
When bombs smashed those mirrors
there was time only to scream.
6) There is an echo yet
of their speech which was like a song.
It was reported that their singing resembled
the flight of moths in moonlight.
Who can say? It is silent now. *it is too late to ask these questions
by Denise Levertov
1) Did the people of Viet Nam *anaphora
use lanterns of stone?
2) Did they hold ceremonies *generic term / objectification
to reverence the opening of buds?
3) Were they inclined to quiet laughter?
4) Did they use bone and ivory, *foreshadows “all the bones were charred”
jade and silver, for ornament?
5) Had they an epic poem?
6) Did they distinguish between speech and singing?
1) Sir, their light hearts turned to stone.
It is not remembered whether in gardens *anaphora
stone lanterns illumined pleasant ways.
2) Perhaps they gathered once to delight in blossom,
but after their children were killed
there were no more buds.
3) Sir, laughter is bitter to the burned mouth.
4) A dream ago, perhaps. Ornament is for joy.
All the bones were charred.
5) It is not remembered. Remember, *the imperative
most were peasants; their life
was in rice and bamboo.
When peaceful clouds were reflected in the paddies *their lives were steeped in
and the water buffalo stepped surely along terraces, the natural world
maybe fathers told their sons old tales.
When bombs smashed those mirrors
there was time only to scream.
6) There is an echo yet
of their speech which was like a song.
It was reported that their singing resembled
the flight of moths in moonlight.
Who can say? It is silent now. *it is too late to ask these questions
