Волны

           ’Thus,notequallybyanymeansorwithorder,butingreatstreaksmywaxenwaistcoatmelted,hereonedrop,thereanother.Nowthroughthistransparencybecamevisiblethosewondrouspastures,atfirstsomoon-white,radiant,wherenofoothasbeen;meadowsoftherose,thecrocus,oftherockandthesnaketoo;ofthespottedandswart;theembarrassing,thebindingandtrippingup.Oneleapsoutofbed,throwsupthewindow;withwhatawhirrthebirdsrise!Youknowthatsuddenrushofwings,thatexclamation,carol,andconfusion;theriotandbabbleofvoices;andallthedropsaresparkling,trembling,asifthegardenwereasplinteredmosaic,vanishing,twinkling;notyetformedintoonewhole;andabirdsingsclosetothewindow.Iheardthosesongs.Ifollowedthosephantoms.IsawJoans,Dorothys,Miriams,Iforgettheirnames,passingdownavenues,stoppingonthecrestofbridgestolookdownintotheriver.Andfromamongthemriseoneortwodistinctfigures,birdswhosangwiththeraptegotismofyouthbythewindow;broketheirsnailsonstones,dippedtheirbeaksinsticky,viscousmatter;hard,avid,remorseless;Jinny,Susan,Rhoda.Theyhadbeeneducatedontheeastcoastoronthesouthcoast.Theyhadgrownlongpigtailsandacquiredthelookofstartledfoals,whichisthemarkofadolescence.

           ’Jinnywasthefirsttocomesidlinguptothegatetoeatsugar.Shenippeditoffthepalmsofone’shandsverycleverly,butherearswerelaidbackasifshemightbite.Rhodawaswild--Rhodaonenevercouldcatch.Shewasbothfrightenedandclumsy.