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Poetry in Motion

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The Owl

Arthur Sze
A poster featuring art by Armando Mariño depicts a forward-facing owl against a bright yellow background and red flowers. Above the owl is a poem written in black text titled The Owl, by Arthur Sze.

The Owl

The path was purple in the dusk.
I saw an owl, perched,
on a branch.

And when the owl stirred, a fine dust
fell from its wings. I was
silent then. And felt

the owl quaver. And at dawn, waking,
the path was green in the
May light.



This poem appears in Arthur Sze's collectionThe Redshifting Web: Poems 1970-1998 (Copper Canyon Press, 1998).
The Guardian Angel (2018) © Armando Mariño, MTA LIRR Brentwood Station.
Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design.

You can purchase the volume here.


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