'The music of words'

 

“You have your identity when youfind out, not what you can keep your mind on, but what you can't keep your mindoff.” – A. R. Ammons

 

Born in North Carolina in Februaryof 1926, Ammons was a writing professor at Cornell University where he also authoredhundreds of poems up until his death in 2001.  Ammons’ Collected Poems, 1951–1971won a National Book Award, and his Selected Poems is anexcellent introduction to his works  

                  

“Poetry," Ammons said, “is themusic of words.”  For Saturday’s Poem,here is Ammons’,

 

Eyesight

                                                                   It was May

beforemy attention

cameto spring and 

 

myword I said

tothe southern slopes

I've 

 

missedit, it

cameand went before

Igot right to see: 

 

don'tworry, said the mountain,

trythe later northern slopes

orif 

 

youcan climb,

climbinto spring: but

saidthe mountain 

 

it'snot that way

withall things, some

thatgo are gone