Two Songs of Advent
July 6, 2023The Empty Hills
July 6, 2023The Precision
God spoke once in the dark: dead sound
in the dead silence. I turned
in my sleep.
I slept and sank away.
Then breath by breath I rose
a rigid skeleton
of thought spread over all the
night maintained by faith alone afraid
to waken, nay, afraid to stir
in sleep.
I, face to face
with my own image.
Mine, Rock, thought, and
rock. Concrete the flesh – it lay
within me, turned, cold
in the living sheets.
Suspended on cold iron, branded on air.
Yvor Winters
Yvor Winters (1900-1968) was an American poet and literary critic who was associated with the conservative literary movement known as the "New Critics." His most famous works include the poetry collection "The Journey" and the critical study "In Defense of Reason." Winters' poetry often dealt with themes of nature, history, and the human experience.