THE ALBATROSS

Often, to pass the time on board, the crew
will catch an albatross, one of those big birds
which nonchalantly chaperone a ship
across the biter fathoms of the sea.

Tied to the deck, this sovereign of space,
as if embarrassed by its clumsiness,
pitiably lets its great white wings
drag at its sides like a pair of unshipped oars.

How weak and awkward, even comical
this traveler but lately so adroit –
one deckhand sticks a pipestem in its beak
, another mock the cripple that once flew!

The Poet is like this monarch of the clouds
riding the storm above the marksman’s range;
exiled on the ground, hooted and jeered,
he cannot walk because of his great wings.

(2 votes, average: 2,50 out of 5)

Podobne wiersze:

TO THE THAWING WIND Come with rain, O loud Southwester! Bring the singer, bring the nester; Give the buried flower a dream; Make the […]...
SPINNING IN APRIL SPINNING IN APRIL MOON in heaven’s garden, among the clouds that wander, Crescent moon so young to see, above the […]...
The Smile There is a smile of Love And there is a smile of Deceit And there is a smile of smiles […]...
ELEVATION Above the lake in the valley and the grove along the hillside, high over the sea and the passing clouds, […]...
Doors Of The Temple Doors Of The TempleMany are the doors of the spirit that lead Into the inmost shrine: And I count the […]...
Escape EscapeI seek the quietude of stones Or of great oxen, dewlap-deep In meadows of lush grass, where sleep Drifts, tufted, […]...
Sonnet – To Science Science! true daughter of Old Time thou art! &nbsp &nbsp Who alterest all things with thy peering eyes. Why preyest […]...
CANIS MAJOR The great Overdog That heavenly beast With a star in one eye Gives a leap in the east. He dances […]...
ONCE BY THE PACIFIC The shattered water made a misty din. Great waves looked over others coming in, And thought of doing something to […]...
[ANG] The Sense Of The Sleight-Of-Hand Man One’s grand flights, one’s Sunday baths, One’s tootings at the weddings of the soul Occur as they occur. So bluish […]...
Ave Maria Gratia Plena Was this His coming! I had hoped to see A scene of wondrous glory, as was told Of some great […]...
Holy Week at Genoa I wandered through Scoglietto’s far retreat, The oranges on each o’erhanging spray Burned as bright lamps of gold to shame […]...
LOST IN HEAVEN The clouds, the source of rain, one stormy night Offered an opening to the source of dew; Which I accepted […]...
SONNET IN A GARDEN SONNET IN A GARDEN By: Josephine Preston Peabody (1874-1922) DUMB Mother of all music, let me rest On thy great […]...
Storm At Night Storm At NightOh, how aquarium-still, how brooding-warm This paradise! How peacefully in the womb Of war itself, and at the […]...
Complaint Of A Poet Manqué Complaint Of A Poet ManquéWe judge by appearance merely: If I can’t think strangely, I can at least look queerly. […]...
CONSECRATION When by an edict of the sovereign powers the Poet enters this indifferent world, his mother, spurred to blasphemy by […]...
Usmiech The Smile Uśmiech There is a Smile of Love, Jest Uśmiech Miłowania And there is a Smile of Deceit, I […]...
The Haunted Palace IN the greenest of our valleys By good angels tenanted, Once a fair and stately palace — Radiant palace — […]...
Uśmiech/The Smile The Smile There is a smile of Love, And there is a Smile of Deceit, And there is a Smile […]...
Słowa Może Do Muzyki – II. Głupia Jane skarcona / Words For Music Perhaps – II. Crazy Jane Reproved II. Crazy Jane Reproved I care not what the sailors say: All those dreadful thunder-stones, All that storm that blots […]...
Poem PoemBooks and a coloured skein of thoughts were mine; And magic words lay ripening in my soul Till their much-whispered […]...
The conqueror Worm Lo! ’tis a gala night Within the lonesome lat! er years! An angel throng, bewinged, bedight In veils, and drowned […]...
The Valley Of Unrest Far away – far away – Far away – as far at least Lies that valley as the day Down […]...
The cloud The islands called me far away, The valleys called me home. The rivers with a silver voice Drew on my […]...
To A Skylark (eng.) Hail to thee, blithe Spirit! Bird thou never wert, That from Heaven, or near it, Pourest thy full heart In […]...
The Prisoner S Till let my tyrants know, I am not doom’d to wear Year after year in gloom and desolate despair; […]...
BIRCHES When I see birches bend to left and right Across the lines of straighter darker trees, I like to think […]...
T. S. Eliot – Cousin Nancy Miss Nancy Ellicott Strode across the hills and broke them, Rode across the hills and broke them– The barren New […]...
Long neglect has worn away Long neglect has worn away Half the sweet enchanting smile; Time has turned the bloom to grey; Mould and damp […]...
Hymn At morn – at noon – at twilight dim- Maria! thou hast heard my hymn! In joy and woe – […]...
[ANG] Bantams in Pine-woods Chieftain Iffucan of Azcan in caftan Of tan with henna hackles, halt! Damned universal cock, as if the sun Was […]...
FIRE AND ICE Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. >From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold […]...
Fire and Ice Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hols […]...
Irlandzki lotnik przeczuwa swoją śmierć WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS (1865-1939) An Irish Airman Forsees His Death I know that I shall meet my fate Somewhere among […]...
Urbs Sacra Aeterna Rome! what a scroll of History thine has been; In the first days thy sword republican Ruled the whole world […]...
The Sick Rose O Rose, thou art sick! The invisible worm, That flies in the night, In the howling storm, Has found out […]...
Alone From childhood’s hour I have not been As others were; I have not seen As others saw; I could not […]...
[ANG] Continual Conversation With A Silent Man The old brown hen and the old blue sky, Between the two we live and die– The broken cartwheel on […]...
Partial Moons Wordy mornings and musical afternoons. Worldly yearnings and celestical partial moons. An illustrated journey from your bed With a spoon […]...