At some point Evelyn edited and made minor changes to this poem. Changing the punctuation on the last line changes the impact, give us pause to think.
This first transcription of 9/24/98 differs from the apparent original (below), dated 11/21/34.
The Hermit
He stalks the tumult
of a voluptuous heaven,
calling the stars by name
and tracing their design
on the live canvas
of changing skies.
He holds
the mystery of lightning
in his hand.
He stirs earth
that is lax and dead
and turns it with seed;
flowers spring
from his touch
and perfumes
petal the path
of his loneliness.
His heart pulses,
and the throbbing throats
of birds
answer its beating.
He lives . . . in solitude?
(Below is the original version, edited by Evelyn at some later date.)
The Hermit
He liveds in solitude,
Knowing the stars
And tracing their design
On the live canvas
Of changing skies.
He walkeds
Tumultuous elements
To their death,
And held holds the mystery
Of lightning
In his hand.
He stirreds earth
that was is lax and dead
and turneds it with seed.
Flowers
Spraing from his touch,
and perfumes
petaled the path
of his loneliness.
His heart pulseds
And the throbbing throats
Of birds
Answered its beating.
He liveds in solitude.
Evelyn Coffey
(Tense change edited above shows in later typed copy. There are thus three versions, with past tense, present tense, and the last, transcribed version at the top of this page.)
This was one of Evelyn's favorites, one she would recite for us again and again, sometimes struggling to "get it right" toward the end, perhaps showing too that the poem was continuously changing inside her, even then.
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