Adrienne Rich(b. 1929)
Orion
F a r b a c k w h e n I w e n t zig-zagging
t h r o u g h t a m a r a c k p a s t u r e s
y o u w e r e my g e n i u s , 0 youattendant spirit
m y c a s t - i r o n Viking, m y h e l m e d
l i o n - h e a r t k i n g in p r i s o n . 2
Y e a r s l a t e r n o w y o u ' r e y o u n g
m y f i e r c e h a l f - b r o t h e r , s t a r i n g
d o w n f r o m t h a t simplified w e s t
y o u r b r e a s t o p e n , y o u r b e l t d r a g g e d d o w n
by an oldfashioned thing, a sword
t h e last b r a v a d o y o u w o n ' t give over
t h o u g h i t w e i g h s you d o w n a s y o u s t r i d e
a n d t h e stars i n i t a r e d i m
a n d m a y b e h a v e s t o p p e d b u r n i n g .
B u t y o u b u r n , a n d I k n o w it;
a s I t h r o w b a c k m y h e a d t o t a k e y o u i n
a n old t r a n s f u s i o n h a p p e n s a g a i n :
divine a s t r o n o m y is n o t h i n g to it.
I n d o o r s I b r u i s e a n d b l u n d e r ,
b r e a k f a i t h , leave ill e n o u g h
a l o n e , a d e a d c h i l d b o r n i n t h e d a r k .
N i g h t c r a c k s u p over t h e c h i m n e y ,
p i e c e s o f t i m e , f r o z e n g e o d e s 3
c o m e s h o w e r i n g d o w n i n t h e g r a t e .
A m a n r e a c h e s b e h i n d my eyes
a n d f i n d s t h e m e m p t y
a w o m a n ' s h e a d t u r n s a w a y
f r o m m y h e a d i n t h e m i r r o r
c h i l d r e n a r e d y i n g m y d e a t h
a n d e a t i n g c r u m b s of my life.
Pity is not your forte.
Calmly you ache up there
pinned aloft in your crow's nest,4
my speechless pirate!
You take it all for granted
and when I look you back
it's with a starlike eye
shooting its cold and egotistical5 spear
where it can do least damage.
Breathe deep! No hurt, no pardon
out here in the cold with you
you with your back to the wall.
1969