W. S. Merwin(b. 1927)
Odysseus
For George Kirstein
Always the setting forth was the same,
Same sea, same dangers waiting for him
As though he had got nowhere but older.
B e h i n d h i m o n t h e r e c e d i n g s h o r e
The identical reproaches, and somewhere
Out before him, the unraveling patience
H e w a s w e d d e d to. T h e r e w e r e t h e islands
E a c h w i t h its w o m a n a n d t w i n i n g w e l c o m e
T o b e navigated, a n d o n e t o call "home.5
T h e k n o w l e d g e of all t h a t he b e t r a y e d
G r e w till it was t h e s a m e w h e t h e r he stayed
Or went. Therefore he went. And what wonder
If sometimes he could not remember
W h i c h was t h e o n e w h o w i s h e d o n his d e p a r t u r e
Perils t h a t he c o u l d n e v e r sail t h r o u g h ,
A n d w h i c h , i m p r o b a b l e , r e m o t e , a n d t r u e ,
W a s t h e o n e h e kept sailing h o m e to