To An Old Philosopher in Rome

What do you gather in the night When the stars move over the eyes And the leaves whisper a heart to the foliage above?
They bring their nature into consciousness:
There, hearts are warmed, loved always, From the poets across the places, yet become Faded to the landscapes—so lightly Hear how sweet the blue light beams, Where the firmament never forgets, To lift the hawk high and remember still. And what rises through forms— You can think again, can you feel? To see this land is traced With the distant past within memory— May all thoughts of the mountain retreat Until lassitude reigns in view, As consciousness beholds what surrounds, For into the night the kisses do fall. Now let the peace fall from their leaves, And at twilight, retreat into dreams. .

• Wallace Stevens