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Conclusion

By John Frederick Nims 1913–1999

legato con amore in un volume
ciò che per l’universo si squaderna . . .

If what began (look far and wide) will end:

This lava globe huddle and freeze, its core

Brittle with cold, or pulled too near its friend

Pop once like one gun in a long-drawn war,

And the stars sputter one by one, the night

So empty judging empty’s out of date

(Space and time gone), then only, height on height,

Mind that impelled those currents and that freight,

Mind that after five days (see those days!

Regions all tropic one day, one all ice!)

Whistled man from the sea-moss, saw him raise

The blundering forepaw, blink from shaggy eyes—

If image, likeness in the ox-yoke brow

Long out of focus, focused mind to Mind—

Ah what unspeakable two and two allows

That silence huddle and all eyes go blind?

Our ups and downs—there! that remembered makes

Memory which is the single mind. How sweet

Carmine stars of the maple fumed in rakes

At 1350 such and such a street.

A thing to keep in mind. Yes and keep yet

When the vile essence violescence lies.

Once in winter by the richening sill

Quiet, the fireplace tiny in our eyes—

I mention this; there’s more. The Almighty will

Aeons late stumble on it with surprise.

John Frederick Nims, “Conclusion” from Selected Poems (Chicago, The University of Chicago Press, 1982). Used by permission of Bonnie Nims.

Source: Poetry (June 1951).

Biography

An important translator and previous editor of Poetry magazine, John Frederick Nims (1913—1999) was equally skilled as a poet. Although Nims was born in Michigan, he spent most of his life on the other side of the lake, in Chicago. Generally a classicist in technique, Nims is also well known for his witty epigrams.

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