16 October 2024

The NS Poem: Now

A new poem by Margaret Atwood.

Photo by Toby Glanville/Millennium Images

I love you now, right now
inside this one word now, the one you’re reading
now. And then of course this means
I love you now forever, just as
long as you can stay inside
this lemon egg of time
your mouth makes as
you say this word – now try it – see,
an egg of air,
and you will be protected now by
such a soft round sound
though now, just now,
the loose assemblage of the sounds
I think of now as I
may now have long since drifted
softly into the air, I’m dustmotes now, but just
start over, start up there
again, just where I say I love
you now, right
now right