Donald Justice(1925–2004)
Pantoum of the Great Depression
O u r lives avoided tragedy
S i m p l y b y g o i n g o n a n d o n ,
W i t h o u t e n d a n d w i t h little a p p a r e n t m e a n i n g .
O h , there w e r e s t o r m s a n d s m a l l c a t a s t r o p h e s .
S i m p l y b y g o i n g o n a n d o n ,
W e m a n a g e d . N o n e e d for t h e h e r o i c .
O h , there w e r e s t o r m s a n d s m a l l c a t a s t r o p h e s .
I don't r e m e m b e r all t h e particulars.
W e m a n a g e d . N o n e e d for t h e h e r o i c .
T h e r e w e r e t h e u s u a l c e l e b r a t i o n s , t h e u s u a l sorrows.
I don't r e m e m b e r all t h e particulars.
A c r o s s t h e f e n c e , t h e n e i g h b o r s w e r e o u r c h o r u s .
T h e r e w e r e t h e u s u a l c e l e b r a t i o n s , t h e u s u a l sorrows.
Thank god no one said anything in verse.
T h e n e i g h b o r s w e r e o u r o n l y c h o r u s ,
A n d i f w e s u f f e r e d w e kept q u i e t a b o u t it.
A t n o t i m e did a n y o n e say a n y t h i n g i n verse.
I t w a s t h e ordinary pities a n d fears c o n s u m e d us,
p n p A n d i f w e s u f f e r e d w e kept q u i e t a b o u t it.
No a u d i e n c e w o u l d ever k n o w our story.
I t w a s t h e ordinary pities a n d fears c o n s u m e d us,
W e g a t h e r e d o n p o r c h e s ; the m o o n rose; w e w e r e poor.
W h a t a u d i e n c e w o u l d ever k n o w o u r story
B e y o n d o u r w i n d o w s s h o n e t h e a c t u a l world.
W e g a t h e r e d o n p o r c h e s ; the m o o n rose; w e w e r e poor.
A n d t i m e w e n t by, d r a w n b y s l o w h o r s e s .
S o m e w h e r e b e y o n d o u r w i n d o w s s h o n e t h e world.
T h e Great D e p r e s s i o n h a d e n t e r e d o u r s o u l s like fog.
A n d t i m e w e n t by, d r a w n b y s l o w h o r s e s .
We did not ourselves know what the end was.
T h e Great D e p r e s s i o n h a d e n t e r e d o u r s o u l s like fog.
W e h a d o u r flaws, p e r h a p s a f e w private virtues.
But w e did n o t o u r s e l v e s k n o w w h a t t h e e n d w a s .
P e o p l e like us s i m p l y go o n .
We have o u r flaws, p e r h a p s a f e w private virtues,
But it is by b l i n d c h a n c e o n l y that we e s c a p e tragedy.
A n d there is no plot in that; it is d e v o i d of poetry.
CARLYN KIZER
b. 1925