The Bread and the Knife

First, I read Litany by Billy Collins (former US Poet Laureate):

You are the bread and the knife,
the crystal goblet and the wine. You are the dew on the morning grass

and the burning wheel of the sun.

You are the white apron of the baker

and the marsh birds suddenly in flight.

 

However, you are not the wind in the orchard,

the plums on the counter,

or the house of cards.

And you are certainly not the pine-scented air.

There is just no way you are the pine-scented air.

 

It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge,

maybe even the pigeon on the general's head,

but you are not even close

to being the field of cornflowers at dusk.

 

And a quick look in the mirror will show

that you are neither the boots in the corner

nor the boat asleep in its boathouse.

 

It might interest you to know,

speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world,

that I am the sound of rain on the roof.

I also happen to be the shooting star,

the evening paper blowing down an alley,

and the basket of chestnuts on the kitchen table.

I am also the moon in the trees

and the blind woman's tea cup.

 

But don't worry, I am not the bread and the knife.

You are still the bread and the knife.

You will always be the bread and the knife,

not to mention the crystal goblet and--somehow-- the wine.

I read it and I thought "Oh, pretty.  But I don't get it.  I need to try to understand how these things are different ... like she's too pretty to be as practical as boots or a boat?  But not pretty enough to be a field of cornflowers?  Is she his warm and slightly homely wife?"

Then I watched the poet recite it ... 



& I finally got the joke.  Three cheers for being funny and pretty, poem.  Mr. Collins, you are indeed the blind woman's tea cup.