Stanley Kunitz - I have walked through many lives, some of them my...

I have walked through many lives, some of them my own, and I am not who I was, though some principle of being abides, from which I struggle not to stray. When I look behind, as I am compelled to look before I can gather strength to proceed on my journey,I see the milestones dwindling toward the horizon and the slow fires trailing from the abandoned camp-sites, over which the scavenger angels wheel on heavy wings. Oh, I have made myself a tribe out of my true affections, and my tribe is scattered!How shall the heart be reconciled to its feast of losses?In a rising wind, the manic dust of my friends, those who fell along the way, bitterly stings my face. Yet I turn.I turn, exulting somewhat, with my will intact to go wherever I need to go, and every stone on the road precious to me. In my darkest night, when the moon was covered and I roamed through the wreckage,a nimbus-clouded voice directed me: -Live in the layers, not on the litter-Though I lack the art to decipher it, no doubt the next chapter in my book of transformations is already written.I am not done with my changes.

Stanley Kunitz

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Stanley Kunitz Quotes

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I have walked through many lives, some of them my own, and I am not who I was, though some principle of being abides, from which I struggle not to stray. When I look behind, as I am compelled to look before I can gather strength to proceed on my journey,I see the milestones dwindling toward the horizon and the slow fires trailing from the abandoned camp-sites, over which the scavenger angels wheel on heavy wings. Oh, I have made myself a tribe out of my true affections, and my tribe is scattered!How shall the heart be reconciled to its feast of losses?In a rising wind, the manic dust of my friends, those who fell along the way, bitterly stings my face. Yet I turn.I turn, exulting somewhat, with my will intact to go wherever I need to go, and every stone on the road precious to me. In my darkest night, when the moon was covered and I roamed through the wreckage,a nimbus-clouded voice directed me: -Live in the layers, not on the litter-Though I lack the art to decipher it, no doubt the next chapter in my book of transformations is already written.I am not done with my changes. Stanley Kunitz

They Said So®

Keywords

walked lives principle abides struggle stray compelled gather strength proceed journey milestones dwindling horizon slow fires trailing abandoned camp-sites scavenger angels wheel heavy wings made tribe true affections scattered heart reconciled feast losses rising wind manic dust friends fell bitterly stings face turn exulting intact stone road precious darkest night moon covered roamed wreckage nimbus-clouded voice directed -live layers litter- lack art decipher doubt chapter book transformations written

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