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Representative Poetry Online, edition 6.0, is a web anthology of 4,800 poems in English and French by over 700 poets spanning 1400 years.  more about RPO

 

 

 

 

Indian Summer

Campbell, William Wilfred (1858 - 1918)
1Along the line of smoky hills
2    The crimson forest stands,
3And all the day the blue-jay calls
4    Throughout the autumn lands.
5Now by the brook the maple leans
6    With all his glory spread,
7And all the sumachs on the hills
8    Have turned their green to red.
9Now by great marshes wrapt in mist,
10    Or past some river's mouth,
11Throughout the long, still autumn day
12    Wild birds are flying south.

Notes

7] sumachs: possibly Rhus typhina, the staghorn sumach, a small tree that turns bright red in the autumn. Thanks to Wasyl Sydorenko for identifying this plant. Back to Line
 What thou lovest well remains,
                  the rest is dross
What thou lov'st well shall not be reft from thee
What thou lov'st well is thy true heritage
Whose world, or mine or theirs
                or is it of none?
First came the seen, then thus the palpable
    Elysium, though it were in the halls of hell,
What thou lovest well is thy true heritage
What thou lov'st well shall not be reft from thee
Ezra Pound Pisan Cantos, LXXXI
Maps