Of Mere Being

The palm stands on the edge of space, The palm stands on the edge of the sea And has no consciousness of being. When there is only a palm. A palm that stands alone, Where the sea joins a beach, Alone and left up to its top, Ends in a fern and a bright light.

O palm, at moments, touched, behold your shadow! Your shadow and silence is present and echoing In the quiet of the world; strong in solitude. Touch of the wind, the whisper, the echo.

• Wallace Stevens