A Poem

[Guest guest]

Dear Fire Circle Friends,

I am leaving my silent *listening only place* in the circle around the fire

for one moment to share a poem by Celan, who with his words written

long ago seems to speak to the difficult work being done in New York

now........and in the collective psyche everywhere.

Warmly,

Ruth Ilg

THERE WAS EARTH INSIDE THEM

(by Celan)

There was earth inside them, and

they dug.

They dug and dug, and so

their day went past, their night.

And they did not praise God,

who, so they heard, wanted all this,

who, so they heard, witnessed all this.

They dug and heard nothing more;

they did not grow wise, invented no song,

devised for themselves no sort of language.

They dug.

There came a stillness then, came also storm,

all of the oceans came.

I dig, you dig, and it digs too, the worm,

and the singing there says: They dig.

O one, o none, o no one, o you:

Where did it go then, making for nowhere?

O you dig and I dig, and I dig through to you,

and the ring on our finger awakens.