WhiteNight//MaryOliver

All night
I float
in the shallow ponds
while the moon wanders
burning,
bone white,
among the milky stems.
Once
I saw her hand reach
to touch the muskrat's
small sleek head
and it was lovely, oh,
I don't want to argue anymore
about all the things
I thought I could not
live without! Soon
the muskrat will glide with another
into their castle
of weeds, morning
will rise from theeast
tangled and brazen
and before that
difficult
and beautiful
hurricane of light
I want to flow out
across the mother
of all waters,
I want to lose myself
on the black
and silky currents,
yawning,
gathering
the tall lilies
of sleep.