William Stafford
William Stafford
Prolific American poet and 1970 U.S. Poet Laureate who won the National Book Award for Traveling Through the Dark. His numerous other works include In the Clock of Reason, Brother Wind, Passwords, and Wyoming Circuit.
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth17 January 1914
CountryUnited States of America
awake breaking darkness discourage line maybe people signals yes
For it is important that awake people be awake,or a breaking line may discourage them back to sleep;the signals we give -- yes or no, or maybe --should be clear: the darkness around us is deep.
call cruel maybe occurs recognize root
I call it cruel and maybe the root of all crueltyto know what occurs but not recognize the fact.
artist able may
Others may be able to accept standards from another, but an artist is a person who decides.
Even the upper end of the riverbelieves in the ocean.
caught face gone happy midst pass souls watch
You happy beings, watch every face for thoseyou pass caught in the midst of lifeby some horror, their souls gone dim, cursedor unlucky, exiled under a stone.
caught cursed face gone happy life midst pass souls watch
You happy beings, watch every face for those you pass caught in the midst of life by some horror, their souls gone dim, cursed or unlucky, exiled under a stone.
anyone greater turn
What can anyone give you greater than now,starting here, right in this room, when you turn around?
curve desert elbows might noon particular
At noon in the desert a panting lizardwaited for history, its elbows tense,watching the curve of a particular roadas if something might happen.
curve desert elbows lizard might noon particular road waited watching
At noon in the desert a panting lizard waited for history, its elbows tense, watching the curve of a particular road as if something might happen.
speaks
The world speaks everything to us. It is our only friend.
acting saddest self
The saddest are those not right in their liveswho are acting to make things right for others:they act only from the self --and that self will never be right:no luck, no help, no wisdom.
acting lives saddest self wisdom
The saddest are those not right in their lives who are acting to make things right for others: they act only from the self -- and that self will never be right: no luck, no help, no wisdom.
happens legends twice
So, the world happens twice --once what we see it as;second it legends itselfdeep, the way it is.
happens itself legends second twice
So, the world happens twice -- once what we see it as; second it legends itself deep, the way it is.