名人诗歌|Slanting Light

Slanting^{1 light casts onto a stucco wall}

the shadows of upwardly zigzagging^{2 plum branches.}

I can see the thinning of branches to the very twig^3.

I have to sift^{4 what you say， what she thinks，}

what he believes is genetic^{5 strength， what}

they agree is inevitable^{6. I have to sift this}

quirky and lashing^{7 stillness of form to see myself，}

even as I see laid out on a table for Death

an assortment^{8 of pomegranates and gourds10.}

And what if Death eats a few pomegranate seeds？

Does it insure a few years of pungent^{11 spring？}

I see one gourd^{9， yellow from midsection to TOP}

and zucchini-green lower down， but

already the big orange gourd is gnawed^{12 black.}

I have no idea why the one survives the killing^{13 nights.}

I have to sift what you said， what I felt，

what you hoped， what I knew. I have to sift

death as the stark^{14 light sifts15 the branches of the plum.}