Poetry · Chapter
VII explained
A brief, visceral poem capturing a moment of urban movement and sensory experience, with the speaker's feet striking flagstones and the wind filling their lungs, while birds continue their flight into an endless night.
What happens
A brief, visceral poem capturing a moment of urban movement and sensory experience, with the speaker's feet striking flagstones and the wind filling their lungs, while birds continue their flight into an endless night.
Key passages
“My pair of feet Smack the flag-stones That are something left over from your walking”
My feet hit the pavement, which is a remnant of your past steps.
The speaker connects their present movement to an absent 'you,' suggesting a lingering presence or memory.
“The wind stuffs the scum of the white street Into my lungs and my nostrils”
The wind forces the dirty residue of the street into my breathing passages.
A gritty, embodied experience of the urban environment, emphasizing pollution and intrusion.
“Exhilarated birds Prolonging flight into the night Never reaching”
Excited birds extend their flight endlessly into the darkness, never arriving.
An image of perpetual motion and unfulfilled journey, contrasting with the speaker's grounded steps.