Les Roses XX
by Rainer Maria Rilke
( translation: A. Poulin, Jr. )
Except from your inner
circle, tell me, rose,
where does your slow essence
come from to impose
all those unearthly raptures
on this space of prose?
Yellow Rose I: Study for ‘Les Roses’
graphite on yellow prepared paper 11 1/2" x 15" 1993 private collection