Pastoral in  General   

The Dove walks with sticky feet
Upon the green crowns of the almond tree,
Its feathers smeared over with warmth
Like honey
That dips lazily down into the shadow ...

Anyone standing in that orchard.So filled with peace and sleep,
Would hardly have noticed the hill
Nearby
With its three strange wooden arms
Lifted above a throng of motionless people
- Above the helmets of Pilate's soldiers
Flashing like silver teeth in the sun.

By Kenneth Patchen

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Other poems by Kenneth Patchen:

• As We Are So Wonderfully Done With Each Other
• Creation
• Fall of the Evening Star
• In the footsteps of the walking air
• Let Us Have Madness
• Pastoral
• Saturday Night in the Parthenon
• The Naked Land
• The Orange Bears
• The Slums
• The Temple
• There Are Not Many Kingdoms Left
• We Go Out Together In the Staring Town
• When We Were Here Together