Song, the Winds of Downhill

By George Oppen 1908–1984 George Oppen

‘out of poverty

to begin

again’ impoverished

of tone of pose that common

wealth

of parlance Who

so poor the words

would with and take on substantial

meaning handholds footholds

to dig in one’s heels sliding

hands and heels beyond the residential

lots the plots it is a poem

which may be sung

may well be sung

Source: New Collected Poems (New Directions Publishing Corporation, 2008)