Ninemaidens

Our sorrow and our joy
Dance with us.
Ninemaidens
We are unaccountable.

Dance with us
The Sabbath-dances.
We are unaccountable
For this summer lightning.

The Sabbath dances
Astonished,
For this summer lightning is love.

Astonished
Our hearts thunder.
Is love
Anything but yes?

Our hearts thunder
With desire for you.
Anything but yes
And we should die.

With desire for you
We are struck dumb.
And we should die
In your arms.

We are struck dumb,
Having too many words.
In your arms
Stone is beautiful.

We open to you.

We close into a circle,
Ninemaidens.
We open to you
Our sorrow and our joy.

D M Thomas