And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.
I love the simplicity of this acknowledgement. A private dialogue between soul and soul, between soul and creator. Carver knew he was dying when he wrote this and this poem testifies to his certainty that love allows eternity to reveal its presence even in the most dire circumstances.
It has a peace that endures; an acceptance that is both humbling and celebratory.
Surely it says everything we would ever hope to know?