Pet dogs help children. Spring after spring
two blaze-white Samoyedes sped me out
to my relief to run
into a new hush after the last noon clang
of church bells, rung ringing since dawn
to proclaim Easter Saturday—
big bells, high up, and all of them
at once, let loose, a deafening glory
for my city of muted immigrants, plenty
of Catholics, bells just a few blocks apart,
Italy, Poland, Ireland, Germany, & Spain,
their metal tested, their cast full-voiced
non-liturgic, jubilee, wake up, hear this, look
out, resurrection, halleluia in yanked abandon
all morning —
avenue traffic drowned out,
backyards & alleys humming in soundsurge,
and my breath a strong pulse
of everywhere hooray--no synchrony
no harmony no purity just hooray
just giant jubilee noise, dogs of course
not liking it, but for me utter
exultation rampant, though I loved my dogs
and took the run they gave me exulting
This is the day that the world hath made.
Rejoice and be glad therein.