Zwicky, Jan

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The Goose
Volume 15 | No. 2 Article 17
2-20-2017
Haydn: The Unpublished Sonatas, Hob. XVI.18-20,
44-46
Jan Zwicky
Part of the Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Literature in English, North America
Commons, Nature and Society Relations Commons, and the Place and Environment Commons
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de la revue The Goose par un rédacteur autorisé de Scholars Commons @ Laurier. Pour de plus amples informations, contactez
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Recommended Citation / Citation recommandée
Zwicky, Jan. "Haydn: The Unpublished Sonatas, Hob. XVI.18-20, 44-46." The Goose, vol. 15 , no. 2 , article 17, 2017,
https://scholars.wlu.ca/thegoose/vol15/iss2/17.
Haydn:	The	Unpublished	Sonatas,	Hob.	XVI.18-20,	44-46	
	
What	are	our	hopes	for	the	world?	
	
A	winter	night	after	snow,		
the	long	walk	home,	faint	smudge	of	moon	
back	of	the	clouds;	and	the	great	weight	of	the	firs,	
the	open	fields	whose	whiteness	
floats	above	them	like	a	ghost.	
No	wind,	no	lamp	or	candle	
in	some	distant	window.	You	could	be	
the	only	animal.	How	long?	
It	will	be	hours.	Only	your	footsteps,		
and	what	you	carry	underneath	your	coat,		
what	you	have	folded	in	your	arms,		
what	is	cradled	on	your	heart.	It	is	so	close,	
maybe	it’s	become	your	heart.		
Perhaps	it	always	was.	
	
Only	your	footsteps,	and	the	dark,		
its	nearness,	and	the	way	it	does	not	care,		
that	clear,	sweet	silence	after	snow.		
Is	it	the	dark	itself	you	love?	
No.	But	forgive	yourself	for	asking.	
	
And	climbing	the	stairs	at	last,	then,		
and	lighting	the	fire,	
and	slowly,	gently,	taking	off	your	coat.		
	
	
	
	
Winner	of	the	Governor	General’s	Award	for	Poetry	and	the	Dorothy	Livesay	Prize,	JAN	ZWICKY	
has	published	more	than	a	dozen	books	of	poetry	and	prose,	including	Songs	for	Relinquishing	
the	Earth,	Forge,	and	Wisdom	&	Metaphor.	
	
“Haydn:	The	Unpublished	Sonatas”	is	from	The	Long	Walk,	copyright	©	2016	by	Jan	Zwicky.	
Reprinted	by	permission	of	University	of	Regina	Press.	
	
1
Zwicky: Haydn: The Unpublished Sonatas
Published by / Publié par Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2017


Haydn: The Unpublished Sonatas, Hob. XVI.18-20, 44-46

Wilfrid Laurier University

The GooseVolume 15 | No. 2 Article 172-20-2017Haydn: The Unpublished Sonatas, Hob. XVI.18-20,44-46Jan ZwickyPart of the Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Literature in English, North AmericaCommons, Nature and Society Relations Commons, and the Place and Environment CommonsFollow this and additional works at / Suivez-nous ainsi que d’autres travaux et œuvres:https://scholars.wlu.ca/thegooseThis article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Goose by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Cet article vous est accessible gratuitement et en libre accès grâce à Scholars Commons @ Laurier. Le texte a été approuvé pour faire partie intégrantede la revue The Goose par un rédacteur autorisé de Scholars Commons @ Laurier. Pour de plus amples informations, contactezscholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended Citation / Citation recommandéeZwicky, Jan. "Haydn: The Unpublished Sonatas, Hob. XVI.18-20, 44-46." The Goose, vol. 15 , no. 2 , article 17, 2017,https://scholars.wlu.ca/thegoose/vol15/iss2/17.Haydn:	The	Unpublished	Sonatas,	Hob.	XVI.18-20,	44-46		What	are	our	hopes	for	the	world?		A	winter	night	after	snow,		the	long	walk	home,	faint	smudge	of	moon	back	of	the	clouds;	and	the	great	weight	of	the	firs,	the	open	fields	whose	whiteness	floats	above	them	like	a	ghost.	No	wind,	no	lamp	or	candle	in	some	distant	window.	You	could	be	the	only	animal.	How	long?	It	will	be	hours.	Only	your	footsteps,		and	what	you	carry	underneath	your	coat,		what	you	have	folded	in	your	arms,		what	is	cradled	on	your	heart.	It	is	so	close,	maybe	it’s	become	your	heart.		Perhaps	it	always	was.		Only	your	footsteps,	and	the	dark,		its	nearness,	and	the	way	it	does	not	care,		that	clear,	sweet	silence	after	snow.		Is	it	the	dark	itself	you	love?	No.	But	forgive	yourself	for	asking.		And	climbing	the	stairs	at	last,	then,		and	lighting	the	fire,	and	slowly,	gently,	taking	off	your	coat.						Winner	of	the	Governor	General’s	Award	for	Poetry	and	the	Dorothy	Livesay	Prize,	JAN	ZWICKY	has	published	more	than	a	dozen	books	of	poetry	and	prose,	including	Songs	for	Relinquishing	the	Earth,	Forge,	and	Wisdom	&	Metaphor.		“Haydn:	The	Unpublished	Sonatas”	is	from	The	Long	Walk,	copyright	©	2016	by	Jan	Zwicky.	Reprinted	by	permission	of	University	of	Regina	Press.		1Zwicky: Haydn: The Unpublished SonatasPublished by / Publié par Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2017

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Haydn: The Unpublished Sonatas, Hob. XVI.18-20, 44-46

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