When Adrienne Rich died earlier this year, I felt compelled to pick up something of hers, since I couldn't recall reading much of her work before, though I felt familiar with her in principle. It took me a while to actually get to reading this since I haven't been reading much poetry lately and it often feels like a bear switching of gears when you are out of practice. But then this was so pleasing to read (after the initial gear switch) that I had some regret for hesitating.
The technology of silence
The rituals, etiquettethe blurring of terms
silence not absenceof words or music or even
raw soundsSilence can be a plan
rigorousy executedthe blueprint to a life
It is a presence
it has history a formDo not confuse it
with any kind of absence
