A Faint Tracing On The Surface Of Mystery

Our life
is a faint tracing
on the surface
of mystery,
like the idle, curved tunnels of leaf miners
on the face
of a leaf.
We must somehow
take a wider view,
look at
the whole landscape,
really see it,
and describe
what's going on here.
Then we can at least wail the right question into the swaddling band of darkness, or, if it comes to that, choir the proper praise.
--Annie Dillard