Poem du jour

Loneliness
by Rachel Hadas


Love costs anxiety, joy has a price:
the fragile edge and smoky smell of limits.
Loneliness
lacks any such suggestion of an end.
It is forever,
and plentiful beyond imagining.
Whatever realm it comes from
boasts a supply not only infinite
but constantly increasing. This is one
resource we need not fear will be depleted.
Nor do we need to doubt that anyone
who once has tasted loneliness will ever
forget its special savour.