Carry Me Away by Henri Michaux | Poems Rethabile Likes
Carry Me Away
by Henri Michaux
Carry me away into a Portuguese boat of once,
Into an old and gentle Portuguese boat of once,
Into the stem of the boat, or if you wish, into the foam,
And lose me, in the distance, in the distance.
Into the yoking of another time.
Into the deceiving velvet of snow.
Into the breath of some dogs brought together again.
Into the weary gathering of dead leaves.
Carry me, without breaking me, into kisses,
Into breasts that raise themselves and breathe,
On palms covering them and their smile,
Into the corridors of long bones, and of articulations.
Carry me away, or rather dig me deep.
Into an old and gentle Portuguese boat of once,
Into the stem of the boat, or if you wish, into the foam,
And lose me, in the distance, in the distance.
Into the yoking of another time.
Into the deceiving velvet of snow.
Into the breath of some dogs brought together again.
Into the weary gathering of dead leaves.
Carry me, without breaking me, into kisses,
Into breasts that raise themselves and breathe,
On palms covering them and their smile,
Into the corridors of long bones, and of articulations.
Carry me away, or rather dig me deep.
[Thank you, Vera Mihailovich-Dickman and Anne-Élisabeth Halpern ('Cheminements vers Henri Michaux', El Circulo, 2026) for introducing me to this poet]
Comments
The light in you is the light in me. The poetry in you is the poetry in me. Humans are filled with infinite possibilities. Possibilities, like poems, like ordinary or great poems, are never wordless. They stand the test of time. They make history. They make us young and invincible, as our youth turns into memory. We are not the wounds we carry, we are a source of light, we are omnipotent grace, we are children of the alpha and omega, yes, we are poetry.
We are music, we are concerned nurturers, we are the caretakers of our parents, of our families, of the less fortunate, the abandoned, the neglected, the disabled, those on welfare, we are the pillars of our community, we are healers, we are the teachers of children everywhere. We are poets. Each one of us. Poets are seers. Poets are scribes. Poets are modern day prophets.
Rethabile, you are one of the coolest poets I know. Keep doing this. Please keep posting poems.