Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, WYOMING, by CLARENCE MAJOR


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

WYOMING, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: I drove north, lost


I drove north, lost
in Wyoming along a river.

A sun-dappled day, I was moving
by looming blue mountains

dotted with pine. Through
a thousand-acre spread

below a retirement village
way at the top, I drove

past highway-boys
vanishing in clouds of dust

while looking for downstream fun.
I drove past hunters in dugout canoes,

moving like wildfire on water
and on I went still lost.

I swung around a gang
of Whitman's bare-chested men

logging timber, then
I stopped to watch

a mutton-busting ride
in a cow town.

They had banners stretched
from bank to barber shop.

A river of red cattle
pounded through town

and went winding up
a narrow road.

I ask a cowpoke
for directions while he

held a lamb
between his legs.

With big shears in one hand
he looked up and said,

"Back where
you came from."


Used with the permission of Copper Canyon Press, P.O. Box 271, Port Townsend, WA
98368-0271, www.cc.press.org




Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net