For Whose Sake We Practice
With Singing and Banners
by Jane Hirshfield
Demonsthenes, a wise man, filled his mouth
with pebbles before speaking;
and a stream which has run ten feet over rocks
is clear, they say, and safe to drink.
Yet still we forget what is owed our failures–
blessings, to praise the stumbled on stone.
And forget what we once knew, how to properly greet
old enemies, for whose sake we practice and parry,
become strong:
with singing and banners, with gladness.