THE WHOLE NIGHT 1971

A A YOUTH IN AN ABBEY IN 1971 HAUNTED BY A WOMAN

I stood in the cloister
and breathed in
the cold morning air
and heard the echo
of the church bells tolling,

Deus tactus,

birdsong on the air,

trees swaying as dancers
on the stage of the green fields,

ici est Dieu autour de nous
the French monk said
opening his arms wide,

she undressed slowy
revealing each aspect
of her body to tempt,

before all and above all
attention shall be paid
to the care of the sick
so that they shall be served
as if they were Christ Himself
said Benedict,

Hugh moaned of noises
as someone passed
his cell door,

I climbed the ladder
in the abbey orchard
to gather apples
as shown by Dom Charles
his tonsured head
visble from above,

Gott unveränderlich
ist es wir die wir ändern
the Austrian monk said
as he aided me to wash
dishes in the kitchen,

the smell of flowers
from the cloister garth
and the heat of the sun,

I shall spread myself
wide for you she said
I shall open up
like a flower at dawn,

I get tired of the darkness
all around me Therese said
the darkness itself seems
to borrow from the sinners
who live in it
the gift of speech,

God is unchnaging
Dom Joseph(dear Bunny) said
it is we who change,

I entered the church for Matins
the lights lit up
in the chill morning darkness
as the monks gathered like ravens
at feast of bread,

i nostri peccati si aggrappano
a noi come i pidocchi
the Italian monk said
as we walked before Compline
stars above us
and moon bright,

come to me she said
come stay and make love
the whole night.