I got interested, as I'm telling you,
in the idea of destructive obsessions.
And when a friend said to me, he says,
"You have to be crazy to write a sestina," I said,
"Aha, now I know what to do to write a sestina."
I hope you could tell, for those of you who recognize the form,
that this is a sestina-- there are
six repeating words in every stanza and they come back
and they keep coming back.
That seemed just right to me because the speaker of the poem
is crazy.
And he drowns the first woman, he drowns the second woman,
and he can't escape from this trap, which is himself.
I'd like to read you one of the poem that's like that in a way.
The story of this poem, which is called "The Twin"
is that one brother is talking to his twin brother's
fiancee trying to convince his twin brother's fiancee
not to marry his brother just yet but to wait a while.
So you hear the brother describing his twin brother.
"He liked to fight.
I can remember how he hit me with a shovel on the beach
when we were four.
And I still see the smirk, when we meet now,
that filled his face as if nothing has changed,
although I know you think he is a gentle and unselfish man.
He poked my eye with a stick, and that scared him.
We embraced and I forgave him then,
and he promised mother that he'd be more careful.
I tell you this because she knew he lied,
and that encouraged him.
Don't let yourself be fooled, he's more persuasive than I am.
Mother believed him since she had no choice, he was her son,
she had to love him, but she told me, weeping,
that brothers must be true to their blood bond.
She took my hand and I was flushed and I agreed.
She sat right there on our old sofa just as you do now.
Your hair reflects the gold threads of your shawl,
that rich brocade brings out your elegance,
you have the cheek bones of a baroness.
Despite our failures, to a primal love--
like any mother's for a nursing child--
something in us aspires eternally.
Don't try to change.
Your love for ideal love shines from your forehead
almost visibly.
If he could only see it, I would be at peace
and give my blessings as I should.
But he will hurt you just as he hurt me
unless you learn to hold some feelings back.
Give yourself time, don't marry him so soon.
Observe yourself observing him, and see
if underneath his surface ease you can detect his opposite.
It's my duty as his brother to be the one who warns you--
people end up repeating what they are.
He liked to fight.
I can remember how we embraced, and I forgave him then.
And he told me, weeping, that brothers
must be true despite our failures, to a primal love
but he will hurt you just as he hurt me.
People end up repeating what they are.
[APPLAUSE]