“The Answer” is a poem by the great poet Robert Creeley. Here is an audio clip of Creeley reading the poem in New York on October 24, 1966. Audio courtesy of PennSound, a treasure trove of poetry audio clips by hundreds of poets, including many more by Creeley.

The Answer

By Robert Creeley

Will we speak to each other
making the grass bend as if
a wind were before us, will our

way be as graceful, as
substantial as the movement
of something moving so gently.

We break things into pieces like
walls we break ourselves into
hearing them fall just to hear it.