POEM OF THE DAY "The Problem of Describing Trees" by Robert Hass

Robert Hass hails from California, a bay area poet whose formative years were during the mid 1950's. Robert was close to the "beat" scene of that era, observing works from poets such as Ginsberg, Corso, Kerouac and Ferlinghetti, etc...

Citing Wallace Stevens as an influence, Hass has had an extraordinary literary career (including serving as U.S. Poet Laureate from 1995 to 1997 I think), clearly influencing some of todays most influential poets. Mary Karr is certainly one of them; and it is Mary Karr who is responsible for inadvertently "tweeting" Robert Hass back into my head. I'm really glad for that!

So, without further ado, please enjoy this first installment of one of Hass poems, as we kick off "Robert Hass" week.

AS ALWAYS - WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR EXACTLY WHAT THIS POEM MEANS TO YOU, SO COMMENTS, PLEASE!!!


The Problem of Describing Trees

by Robert Hass

The aspen glitters in the wind
And that delights us.
The leaf flutters, turning
Because that motion in the heat of summer
Protects its cells from drawing out.
Likewise the leaf of the cottonwood.
The gene pool threw up a wobbly stem
And the tree danced.
No.
The tree capitalized.
No.
There are limits to saying,
In language,
what the tree did.
It is good sometimes for poetry to disenchant us.
Dance with me, dancer.
Oh, I will.
Aspens doing something in the wind.

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