Alfonsina STORNI: I Am Going To Sleep (Suicide note)

A l f o n s i n a    S t o r n i

(1892-1938)

 

I Am Going To Sleep

(Suicide note)

Teeth of flowers, hairnet of dew,

hands of herbs, you, perfect wet nurse,

prepare the earthly sheets for me

and the down quilt of weeded moss.

 

I am going to sleep, my nurse, put me to bed.

Set a lamp at my headboard;

a constellation; whatever you like;

all are good: lower it a bit.

 

Leave me alone: you hear the buds breaking through . . .

a celestial foot rocks you from above

and a bird traces a pattern for you

 

so you’ll forget . . . Thank you. Oh, one request:

if he telephones again

tell him not to keep trying for I have left . . .

Alfonsina Storni poetry

fleursdumal.nl magazine

More in: Archive S-T, Archive S-T, Storni, Alfonsina, Suicide