Thursday, August 1, 2013

The Explorer – A Poem by Ted P. Daly

The Explorer *

I cannot dance in simple bliss
To the tinkling symbols of the age; 
Or join with full abandon
The parade of waving flags; 
Or step with unmixed joy 
To the strains of another's  song; 
Or choose between ploughshares and the sword
As those who chant for peace or war. 

I press beyond the soothing myth, 
Beyond the parables of truth
To a land of tingling consciousness, 
Of pure, if thinner air. 
Oh, many have been lost here, 
The landmarks are very few, 
But whatever I may find, 
I shall report to you. 

* from March Through Russia and Other Poems (1969) by Ted P. Daly. Philadelphia, Pa.: Dorrance & Company

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