Inside
By Li-Young Lee
She turns.
But something inside her
never turns.
She moves. But something
inside her never moves.
Immovable.
She speaks.
Inside her is quiet.
Inside her lives the unspoken.
I lived so long
inside her turning.
I lived so long inside
her moving and speaking.
From now on I will live inside
her stillness inside her turning.
I will live inside
all she never says.
Inside everything she keeps to herself.
I will be one of those things
she keeps to herself.
Notes:
This poem is part of the portfolio honoring Li-Young Lee as the recipient of the 2024 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, a recognition for outstanding lifetime achievement from the Poetry Foundation. Established in 1986 by Ruth Lilly, the prize is one of the most prestigious awards given to living US poets. Read the rest of the portfolio in the October 2024 issue.
Source: Poetry (October 2024)