Collected poems, 1943-2004

the long version

From the Publisher: Over the course of his distinguished sixty-year career, Richard Wilbur has written seventeen collections of poetry, four children's books, and numerous works in prose and translations. This comprehensive collection presents Wilbur's poems, including several new and never before published. In trackless woods, it puzzled me to find; Four great rock maples seemingly aligned, As if they had been set out in a row; Before some house a century ago, To edge the property and lend some shade. I looked to see if ancient wheels had made; Old ruts to which the trees ran parallel, But there were none, so far as I could tell- There'd been no roadway. Nor could I find the square; Depression of a cellar anywhere, And so I tramped on further, to survey; Amazing patterns in a hornbeam spray; Or spirals in a pine cone, under trees ;Not subject to our stiff geometries.-from "In Trackless Woods."