Once a student of Euclid

The Chair     by Charles Simic

The chair was once a student of Euclid.

The book of its laws lay on its seat.
The schoolhouse windows were open,
So the wind turned the pages
Whispering the glorious proofs.

The sun set over the golden roofs.
Everywhere the shadows lengthened,
But Euclid kept quiet about that.

"The Chair" is found in Simic's collection Hotel Imsomnia (HBJ, 1992). Thanks to F J Craveiro de Carvalho, University of Coimbra, Portugal, who brought the poem to my attention.