pilgrims † this is the shape of the leaf, and this of the flower and this the pale bole of the tree which watches its bough in a pool of unwavering water in a land we never shall see the thrush on the bough is silent, the dew falls softly in the evening is hardly a sound and the three beautiful pilgrims who come here together touch lightly the dust of the ground touch it with feet that trouble the dust but as wings do come shyly together, are still like dancers who wait, in a pause of the music, for music the exquisite silence to fill this is the thought of the first, and this of the second and this the grave thought of the third : ‘linger we thus for a moment, palely expectant and silence will end, and the bird sing the pure phrase, sweet phrase, clear phrase in the twilight to fill the blue bell of the world and we, who on music so leaflike have drifted together leaflike apart shall be whirled into what but the beauty of silence, silence forever’ ... this is the shape of the tree and the flower, and the leaf, and the three pale beautiful pilgrims : this is what you are to me ~ † conrad aiken, "priapus and the pool : iv" priapus and the pool : horace liveright, 1925 cf : conrad aiken, selected poems : charles scribner's sons, new york : 1929 awarded the pulitzer prize for poetry : 1930 sound design by rjh and suno v6 illustration by rjh and chat-gpt6.1 astra (light)
