Amy Clampitf(1920–1994)
Beach Glass
W h i l e y o u w a l k t h e w a t e r ' s e d g e ,
t u r n i n g o v e r c o n c e p t s
I c a n ' t e n v i s i o n , t h e h o n k i n g b u o y
s e r v e s n o t i c e t h a t a t a n y t i m e
t h e w i n d m a y c h a n g e ,
t h e r e e f - b e l l c l a t t e r s
i t s t r e b l e m o n o t o n e , d e a f a s C a s s a n d r a 1
t o a n y n o t e b u t w a r n i n g . T h e o c e a n ,
c u m b e r e d b y n o b u s i n e s s m o r e u r g e n t
than keeping open old accounts
t h a t n e v e r b a l a n c e d ,
g o e s o n s h u f f l i n g i t s m i l l e n n i u m s
o f q u a r t z , g r a n i t e , a n d b a s a l t .
toward the permutations of novelty—
d r i f t w o o d a n d s h i p w r e c k , l a s t n i g h t ' s
b e e r c a n s , s p i l t o i l , t h e c o u g h e d - u p
residue of p l a s t i c — w i t h random
impartiality, playing c a t c h or tag
or t o u c h - l a s t like a terrier,
turning the s a m e thing over and over,
over and over. For the o c e a n , n o t h i n g
is b e n e a t h c o n s i d e r a t i o n .
T h e h o u s e s
of so many mussels and periwinkles 0mollusks, snails
have been abandoned here, it's hopeless
to k n o w w h i c h to salvage. Instead
I k e e p a l o o k o u t for b e a c h glass—-
a m b e r of B u d w e i s e r , chrysoprase2
of A l m a d e n and Gallo, lapis3
by way of (no getting a r o u n d it,
I'm afraid) Phillips'
Milk of M a g n e s i a , w i t h n o w and t h e n a rare
t r a n s l u c e n t turquoise or blurred amethyst
of no k n o w n origin.
T h e p r o c e s s
g o e s o n forever: t h e y c a m e from sand,
they go back to gravel,
along w i t h the treasuries
of M u r a n o , 4 the b u t t r e s s e d
a s t o n i s h m e n t s of Chartres,5
w h i c h e v e n n o w are readying
for b e i n g turned over and over as gravely
and gradually as an intellect
e n g a g e d in the hazardous
redefinition of structures
no o n e has yet looked at.