It is the lumps and trials
That tell us whether we shall be known
And whether our fate can be exemplary, like a star.
All the rest is waiting
For a letter that never arrives,
Day after day, the exasperation
Until finally you have ripped it open not knowing what it is,
The envelope halves lying on a plate.
The message was wise, and seemingly
Dictated a long time ago.
Its truth is timeless, but its time has still
Not arrived, telling of danger, and the mostly limited
Steps that can be taken against danger
Now and in the future, in cool yards,
In small quiet houses in the country,
Our country, in fenced areas, in cool shady streets.
John Ashbery
Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror
The One Thing That Can
Save America, stanza iv
Viking, 1975©
It has been, and will, I hope, remain, a favorite poem of mine, a book, too.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are not shocked to find it so adapted here, Bruce.
ReplyDelete