Nobody in the lane, and nothing, nothing but blackberries,
Blackberries on either side, though on the right mainly,
A blackberry alley, going down in hooks, and a sea
Somewhere at the end of it, heaving. Blackberries
Big as the ball of my thumb, and dumb as eyes
Ebon in the hedges, fat
with blue-red juices. These they squander on my fingers.
I had not asked for such a blood sisterhood; they must love me.
They accomodate themselves to my milkbottle, flattening their sides.
Overhead go the choughs in black, cacophonous flocks-
Bits of burnt paper wheeling in a blown sky.
Theirs is the only voice, protesting, protesting.
I do not think the sea will appear at all.
The high, green meadows are glowing, as if lit from within.
I come to one bush of berries so ripe it is a bush of flies,
Hanginng their bluegreen bellies and their wing panes in a Chinese screen.
The honey-feast of the berries has stunned them; they believe in heaven.
One more hook, and the berries and bushes end.
The only thing to come now is the sea.
From between two hills a sudden wind funnels at me, gapping its phantom laundry in my face.
I follow the sheep path between them. A last hook brings me
To the hills' northern face, and the face is orange rock
That looks out on nothing, nothing but a great space
Of white and pewter lights, and a din like silversmiths
Beating and beatiing at an intractable metal.
(I so adore Sylvia Plath. I recited this poem for my poetry slam and it was a wonderful experience xxx)
I do need to read more Sylvia Plath. She is so wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI recently came across Sylvia Path thanks to an American Lit class that I'm taking and shes a very good author, at first i was a bit confused when i started reading the bell Jar and then i was intrigued i had to know what was happening and i wasn't disappointed with the book, it was a good read and most of all it wasn't unnecessarily long which i think is what i loved the most, well that and her writing style.
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