Ars Poetica     
by Archibald MacLeish 

 
A poem should be palpable and mute
As a globed fruit,

Dumb
As old medallions to the thumb,

Silent as the sleeve-worn stone
Of casement ledges where the moss has grown—

A poem should be wordless
As the flight of birds.

                 *

A poem should be motionless in time
As the moon climbs,

Leaving, as the moon releases
Twig by twig the night-entangled trees,

Leaving, as the moon behind the winter leaves,
Memory by memory the mind—

A poem should be motionless in time
As the moon climbs.

                  *

A poem should be equal to:
Not true.

For all the history of grief
An empty doorway and a maple leaf. <--- this is what I thought you were referencing

For love
The leaning grasses and two lights above the sea—

A poem should not mean
But be.

Ah! Well then, I'm going to take the 5th on your intention question and just say "A poem should not mean/But be"!
Have to remember that, so I can sound more accomplished when I say "I don't know"! Seriously, thanks for posting this. -Tom

Moving this to Journalese, as I'm not currently working on it to Submit, having cannibalized S1 for "The one time" and submitted that.