The Open Grave
To hear the poet read "The Open Grave," click
My mother made my need,
my father my conscience.
De mortius nil nisi bonum.
Therefore it will cost me
bitterly to lie,
to prostrate myself
at the edge of a grave.
I say to the earth
be kind to my mother,
now and later.
Save, with your coldness,
the beauty we all envied.
I became an old woman.
I welcomed the dark
I used so to fear.
De mortius nil nisi bonum.
MYSLATE
MySlate is a new tool that lets you track your favorite parts of Slate. You can follow authors and sections, track comment threads you're interested in, and more.
Who Said It: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford or Simpsons Mayor Diamond Joe Quimby?
Enterprise vs. Millennium Falcon: Which is the Fastest?
Is Your State Bird a Stupid State Bird? What It Should Be Instead.
Louise Glück's new book, A Village Life, will appear this September.
Click here to load comments.