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Eros by Louise Glück

MARGINALIA • SKIP TO THE POEM

Because it told exactly how I felt:

Eros
Louise Glück

I had drawn my chair to the hotel window, to watch the rain.

I was in a kind of dream, or trance —
in love, and yet
I wanted nothing.

It seemed unnecessary to touch you, to see you again.
I wanted only this:
the room, the chair, the sound of the rain falling,
hour after hour, in the warmth of the spring night.

I needed nothing more; I was utterly sated.
My heart had become very small; it took very little to fill it.
I watched the rain falling in heavy sheets over the darkened city —

You were not concerned. I did the things
one does in daylight, I acquitted myself,
but I moved like a sleepwalker.

It was enough and it no longer involved you.
A few days in a strange city.
A conversation, the touch of a hand.
And afterward, I took off my wedding ring.

That was what I wanted: to be naked.

End Notes

This poem appeared in The Seven Ages by Louise Glück, published by Ecco, 2002. Shared here with profound gratitude.

 

Read more works by Louise GlückFind books by this poet • Or view my library

 

Explore poems in pursuit of: desirerelationshipsthe body • Or browse the index

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Poem Gluck Eros

Comments (4)

  • Francisca

    Hermoso

    reply
  • Jane

    Hi sorry to bother. I like this poetry too. It really really really touches me! Thanks for the beautiful type you have made in this blog. But I guess in this sentence “the room, the hair, the sound of the rain falling”, “the hair” ought to be “the chair”, to indicate the things mentioned in the first sentence. I didn’t read the original form, and I am not sure whether I am right. It feels great to find someone like it too. I believe this poetry must bring unforgettable feelings for you as well.

    reply

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