Poetry Explorer


Classic and Contemporary Poetry


COMPENSATION by JOHN COWPER POWYS

First Line: AFTER ALL / THERE ARE MOMENTS
Last Line: THE SEA! THE SEA! THE SEA!
Subject(s): DRINKS & DRINKING; MEMORY; SEA; WINE; OCEAN;

After all
There are moments,
Even for the most unhappy,
When, out of some tiny crevice,
Some small overlooked chink in the great Wine-Vat,
The good liquor spurts forth
Into our mouth.

And we remember
How long ago the rain-wet celandines
Pierced us with memories,
With memories of things deeper than sleep or death
And older than all the orbits of the planets.

Over the tossing poplars,
Over the misty plough-lands,
Over the dreamy meadows,
Those memories came;
Nor did they melt to nothing
Even when, from the witch-girl's window,
The lamp-light streamed across the night.

And we remember
How from a long straight road --
Somewhere -- no matter where --
While at our feet silver-weed and dandelion
Laughed out of the hot dust,
Somewhere -- no matter where --
We heard it; we knew it;
The Sea! The Sea! The Sea!



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