Help, head. Help heart.

One of the joys of sorting through bookshelves is coming across old friends.  This week I re-met Maira Kalman’s terrific My Favorite Things, which features the equally terrific Lydia Davis’ poem, Head, Heart.  Stopped me in my tracks.

Heart weeps.

Head tries to help heart.

Head tells heart that’s how it is, again.

You will lose the ones you love. They will all go. But even the earth will go, someday.

Heart feels better, then.

But the words of head do not remain long in the ears of heart.

Heart is so new to this.

I want them back, says heart.

Head is all that heart has.

Help, head.  Help heart.

  – Lydia Davis, 2007