Our nation's new official poet

"Merwin's poems speak from a lifelong belief in the power of words to awaken our drowsy souls and see the world with compassionate interconnection." 
                                               ---said of W.S. Merwin when he won his second Pulitzer Prize.

Last week, William S. Merwin was was named the 17th poet laureate of the United States. During his term, the Poet Laureate seeks to raise the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry.

Yesterday by W. S. Merwin


My friend says I was not a good son
you understand
I say yes I understand

he says I did not go
to see my parents very often you know
and I say yes I know

even when I was living in the same city he says
maybe I would go there once
a month or maybe even less
I say oh yes

he says the last time I went to see my father
I say the last time I saw my father
he says the last time I saw my father

he was asking me about my life
how I was making out and he
went into the next room
to get something to give me
oh I say

feeling again the cold
of my father's hand the last time
he says and my father turned
in the doorway and saw me
look at my wristwatch and he

said you know I would like you to stay
and talk with me
oh yes I say

but if you are busy he said
I don't want you to feel that you
have to
just because I'm here

I say nothing

he says my father
said maybe
you have important work you are doing
or maybe you should be seeing
somebody I don't want to keep you

I look out the window
my friend is older than I am
he says and I told my father it was so

and I got up and left him then
you know
though there was nowhere I had to go
and nothing I had to do