William Stafford
William Stafford
Prolific American poet and 1970 U.S. Poet Laureate who won the National Book Award for Traveling Through the Dark. His numerous other works include In the Clock of Reason, Brother Wind, Passwords, and Wyoming Circuit.
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth17 January 1914
CountryUnited States of America
current exactly hold miles river silent stillness turn
You and I can turn and lookat the silent river and wait. We knowthe current is there, hidden; and thereare comings and goings from miles awaythat hold the stillness exactly before us.What the river says, that is what I say.
anyone greater turn
What can anyone give you greater than now,starting here, right in this room, when you turn around?
again came face happened life slant takes time turns
They tell how it was, and how time came along, and how it happened again and again. They tell the slant life takes when it turns and slashes your face as a friend.
deep gutter head heard pours silence turn wide
. . . You were aimed from birth:you will never be alone. Rainwill come, a gutter filled, an Amazon,long aisles -- you never heard so deep a sound,moss on rock, and years. You turn your head --that's what the silence meant: you're not alone. The whole wide world pours down.
deep gutter head heard moss pours rain silence turn wide
. . . You were aimed from birth: you will never be alone. Rain will come, a gutter filled, an Amazon, long aisles -- you never heard so deep a sound, moss on rock, and years. You turn your head -- that's what the silence meant: you're not alone. The whole wide world pours down.
sun
Well, it was yesterday. And the sun came,WhyIt came.
sun
Well, it was yesterday. And the sun came, Why It came.
breathing bring gift respect
Will you ever bring a better gift for the worldthan the breathing respect that you carrywherever you go right now?
knowing wisdom
Wisdom is having things right in your lifeand knowing why.
hidden name touch william
My name is William Tell:when little oppressions touch mearrows hidden in my cloakwhisper, "Ready, ready.
arrows cloak hidden name touch william
My name is William Tell: when little oppressions touch me arrows hidden in my cloak whisper, "Ready, ready.
gain led pure time
We are led one thing at a time to that pure gain -- all that we lose.
american-poet
I'll be me, but I don't like it.
american-poet people starts
I just kept on doing what everyone starts out doing. The real question is, why did other people stop?