Robinson
July 6, 2023Interregnum
July 6, 2023La Vita Nuova
Last summer, in the blue heat,
Over the beach, in the burning air,
A legless beggar lurched on calloused fists
To where I waited with the sun-dazed birds.
He said, “The summer boils away. My life
Joins to another life; this parched skin
Dries and dies and flakes away,
Becomes your costume when the torn leaves blow.”
–Thus in the losing autumn,
Over the streets, I now lurch
Legless to your side and speak your name
Under a gray sky ripped apart
By thunder and the changing wind.
Weldon Kees
Weldon Kees (1914-1955) was an American poet, novelist, and artist who was associated with the New York School of poets. Kees' poetry often explored themes of urban life and the loneliness of modern society. His most famous works include "The Collected Poems of Weldon Kees" and "The Last Man."