You, You Only, Exist
You, you only, exist. We pass away, till at last, our passing is so immense that you arise: beautiful moment, in all your suddenness, arising in love, or enchanted in the contraction of work. To you I belong, however time may wear me away. From you to you I go commanded. In between the garland is hanging in chance; but if you take it up and up and up: look: all becomes festival!
You, You Only, Exist - meaning Summary
Devotion as Eternal Center
This short lyric contrasts human transience with a single enduring presence addressed as "you." The speaker sees their own passing as the condition that allows this beautiful, sudden presence to arise. They claim belonging and a compelled return to that center. Between departure and arrival lies contingency, symbolized by a garland, which becomes celebratory if the addressee embraces it. The poem frames devotion as the way transience is transformed into festivity.
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