In Ampezzo
July 6, 2023I hear a river thro’ the valley wander
July 6, 2023I used to think
I used to think
The mind essential in the body, even
As stood the body essential in the mind:
Two inseparable things, by nature equal
And similar, and in creation’s song
Halving the total scale: it is not so.
Unlike and cross like driftwood sticks they come
Churned in the giddy trough: a chunk of pine,
A slab of rosewood: mangled each on each
With knocks and friction, or in deadly pain
Sheathing each other’s splinters: till at last
Without all stuff or shape they ‘re jetted up
Where in the bluish moisture rot whate’er
Was vomited in horror from the sea.
Trumbull Stickney
Trumbull Stickney (1874-1904) was an American poet and scholar who is known for his works that explore themes of love, beauty, and the natural world. He was a leading figure in the American literary world of the early 20th century and his works continue to be studied for their insights into the aesthetics of modernist poetry.