the cloud of unknowing

		and then when then i die
		i feel i shall say
		i have not understood
		i have not understood any of this
		my eyes are still coaldark
		i have not understood
		around and in my eyes the tiny flecks
		of swirling crippled confused lights
		and to my heart i will whisper
		softly quietly
		there is no death there is no death
		(and goodbye to you all)

		under the gorgon grinnéd arches
		of London's great vaults
		i have not understood
		under the sunpuckered roofs of Kathmandu
		i have not understood
		along the soulstoned streets
		of Lower and of Higher Germanie
		i have not understood
		Leipzig blackeyed pain and loss: she
		i have not understood
		in Clare near i
		the empty lakes are open in the distance
		and too close is the famineretchingroad
		all these are ghosts
		there i have not understood
		(in the heart of the wood
		oh there have i understood)
		i rested at the temple of great black time -- her
		and did not understand
		though animalbled fleshmarbled rivers ran in her honour
		his buckled body in blood
		returns to the prebirth poise
		spreadeagled like starfish --
		there in his eyes
		incomprehension mute pain disbelief what
		blood there meant sorrow trickles there
		this i could not understand
		i bend the pages of yet another book
		and in its lines great black lines
		i have not understood
		please gramercy pray for me
		and oh goodbye sweetestheart
		the wind roars in the nearness
		and there in my heart
		and all the clouds are spiralling towards us
		descent indeed to the centre of it all
		skipping lightly and lying truly
		this we shall understand
		i hope
		
		wet bent humped trees
		the great ones -- there
		on the lapped shore
		Dai Ichi
		there also i do not know
		this is all unknowable
		and as the dust covers my empty eyes
		you shall read in these foolish gapes
		oh that i have not understood
		(but if you look for the stag and the cross conjoined
		there on my arm look there
		there i have understood very well)
		
		now you are all fading
		all fading
		as my age creeps on
		as this age stumbles on
		fires in the earth
		fires in the sky
		fires in our hearts
		fires everywhere
		the black eyes
		already blacken
		and this i have not understood 
	
		not peace
		but a sword
		this and he
		unfortunately
		i have understood
		under the bowered greenwood tree
		when first i lay
		bright starre with thee
		under the velvet branches dear
		when sun and moon both came so near
		under the starlit open dome
		under the starsharp pointed lights
		under the starloved greeny earth
		when first i wanted to hold you
		and all the world halfdead and halfalive
		spat into my mouth
		bluesea bitterwater
		and i am almost dead
		and i have not understood 
		
		under the rain and teeth of gods
		under the pain and sleeping liddy eyes
		under the brokkéd wetful heaven
		if you are there
		if you are there
		if you are there
		then i am singing with my eyes
		if you are there