Wind, Water, Stone

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Water hollows stone,
wind scatters water,
stone stops the wind.
Water, wind, stone.

Wind carves stone,
stone's a cup of water,
water escapes and is wind.
Stone, wind, water.

Wind sings in its whirling,
water murmurs going by,
unmoving stone keeps still.
Wind, water, stone.

Each is another and no other:
crossing and vanishing
through their empty names:
water, stone, wind.

*******
✍  Octavio Paz (Mexico City, 31 March 1914 ~ Mexico City, 19 April 1998).
◙ Artwork: Peder Balke

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