Contents Author's Note xi FROM What a Kingdom It Was 1960
First Song p. 3
For William Carlos Williams p. 4
Freedom, New Hampshire p. 5
The Supper After the Last p. 9
The Avenue Bearing the Initial of Christ into the New World p. 12
FROM Flower Herding on Mount Monadnock 1964
The River That Is East p. 29
For Robert Frost p. 31
Poem of Night p. 35
Middle of the Way p. 37
Ruins Under the Stars p. 39
Flower Herding on Mount Monadnock p. 41
FROM Body Rags 1968
Another Night in the Ruins p. 47
Vapor Trail Reflected in the Frog Pond p. 49
The Burn p. 51
The Fly p. 52
The Correspondence School Instructor Says Goodbye to His Poetry Students p. 53
How Many Nights p. 54
The Porcupine p. 55
The Bear p. 59
FROM The Book of Nightmares 1971
Under the Maud Moon p. 65
The Hen Flower p. 70
The Dead Shall Be Raised Incorruptible p. 74
Little Sleep's-Head Sprouting Hair in the Moonlight p. 79
Lastness p. 83
FROM Mortal Acts, Mortal Words 1980
Fergus Falling p. 91
After Making Love We Hear Footsteps p. 93
Saint Francis and the Sow p. 94
Wait p. 95
Daybreak p. 96
Blackberry Eating p. 97
Kissing the Toad p. 98
On the Tennis Court at Night p. 99
The Last Hiding Places of Snow p. 101
Looking at Your Face p. 105
Fisherman p. 106 52
Oswald Street p. 107
A Milk Bottle p. 108
FROM The Past 1985
The Road Between Here and There p. 113
Conception p. 115
The Sow Piglet's Escapes p. 116
The Olive Wood Fire p. 117
The Frog Pond p. 118
Prayer p. 120
Fire in Luna Park p. 121
Cemetery Angels p. 122
On the Oregon Coast p. 123
First Day of the Future p. 124
The Fundamental Project of Technology p. 125
The Waking p. 127
That Silent Evening p. 130
FROM When One Has Lived a Long Time Alone 1990
The Tragedy of Bricks p. 133
The Cat p. 135
Oatmeal p. 137
The Perch p. 139
The Room p. 141
Last Gods p. 142
Farewell p. 144
When One Has Lived a Long Time Alone p. 146
FROM Imperfect Thirst p. 1994
My Mother's R & R p. 159
The Man in the Chair p. 160
The Cellist p. 162
Running on Silk p. 164
The Deconstruction of Emily Dickinson p. 166
Sheffield Ghazal 4: Driving West p. 168
Sheffield Ghazal 5: Passing the Cemetery p. 169
Parkinson's Disease p. 170
Rapture p. 172
Flies p. 174
Neverland p. 178