Charles Tomlinson(b. 1927)
Farewell to Van Gogh
T h e q u i e t d e e p e n s . You will n o t p e r s u a d e
O n e leaf of t h e a c c o m p l i s h e d , steady, d a r k e n i n g
C h e s t n u t - t o w e r to displace itself
W i t h m o r e of violence t h a n t h e air supplies
W h e n , g a t h e r i n g dusk, t h e p o n d b r i m s evenly
A n d w e m u s t b e c o n t e n t w i t h stillness.
Unhastening, daylight withdraws from us its shapes
Into their central calm. Stone by stone
Your r h e t o r i c is d i s p e r s e d u n t i l t h e e a r t h
Becomes once more the earth, the leaves
A s h a r p p a r t i t i o n against cooling blue.
Farewell, a n d for y o u r i n s t r u c t i v e f r e n z y
G r a t i t u d e . T h e world does n o t e n d t o n i g h t
A n d t h e f r u i t t h a t w e shall p i c k t o m o r r o w
Await us, w e i g h i n g t h e u n s t r i p p e d b o u g h .