This was that earth
of which we had heard
carved out of Chaos and Old Night
The virgin forest of Massachusetts long since cut down
Henry David Thoreau tried to climb
to the top of Mount Katahdin in Maine
Lost in fog in upper crags
defeated by the upper cliffs
he fell to his knees
Rejoicing rocks and trees, wind on our cheeks!
this solid earth! the actual world! the common sense!
contact!
He saw all all in the Developer’s Eye
tear down build build a Tower High
set fire to the Chaos of Old Night
He saw the serpent
tail coiled round it’s own throat
He saw them stripping
Katahdin Woods and Waters in Maine
Basin and Range in Nevada
Canyons of the Ancients in Colorado
Grand Canyon-Parashunt in Arizona
Craters of the Moon in Idaho
Bending the arms of Giant Sequoia in California
Arches and Canyonlands in Utah
Grand Staircase-Escalante in southern Utah
See Henry David Thoreau
still climbing Mount Katahdin
lost in fog
Still on his knees in the upper cliffs
calling out
where is that Earth
Of which we had heard
carved out of Chaos
and Old Night