‘I stood waiting’ ‘for some minutes’ ‘in this very’ ‘alive darkness—’ ‘the air so vibrant,’ ‘the trees awake’ ‘There were flowers,’ ‘mixed grasses,’ ‘growing lower’ ‘in the dark,’ ‘& I was relieved’ ‘to be near them’ ‘after so much time’ ‘where nothing grew’ ‘Then’ ‘I heard a song’ ‘faint & blurred,’ ‘a slow song’ ‘I heard it’ ‘as if through walls’ ‘As if’ ‘there were a room’ ‘next to where I stood’ ‘& someone,’ ‘a man,’ ‘sang inside of it’ ‘The tune was sad,’ ‘& attracting’ ‘I approached it—’ ‘where its source seemed to be—’ ‘& it moved away from me’ ‘just a’ ‘short distance’ ‘This happened twice’ ‘Then I understood’ ‘I was to follow it:’ ‘& so it led me—’ ‘through deep woods’ ‘& clearings,’ ‘for’ ‘a long while’ ‘The voice sang’ ‘the same melody’ ‘over’ ‘& over’ ‘mournful’ ‘& intimate’ ‘in a language’ ‘I didn’t recognize—’ ‘or didn’t think I did:’ ‘it was hard to’ ‘hear the words—’ ‘Till at last we’ ‘reached a meadow’ ‘where the song’ ‘ceased to sound,’ ‘pale & empty’ ‘with trees…