Wednesday, March 15, 2023

YEATS IN THE SEVEN WOODS (FINAL VERSION)


all that wild summons he had set upon the winds, Yeats

returned

to the seven woods

surely the winds must have turned away

for there was no hearing

and so he called again

to an earth grown hard of hearing

as far as the Romantics were concerned

past all hearing, bearing-believing

in the seven woods and beyond,

to no avail

except the moonlight beaded the desolate

waters

except the starlight mourned through the windy trees

like a veil never lifted, yet lifting still

the sons and the daughters of dream

beyond the summers' green

what crowned thee with fame

and myth was stirred into an infinite flame

and poetry

though lamentation remained of all the lyric gifts

his best while his soul still sang here

what good was it to rename

the constellations in her honor

least of all to rechristen the old, old names.

mary angela douglas 3 july 2022;15 march 2023

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