An Unknown Shore: Variations on a Fragment by Oppen
Cortez arrives.
he is absolutely lost
at an unknown shore.
an he is enraptured
(this is the nature of poetry
The poem:
Cortez arrives at an unknown shore
he is absolutely lost
and he is enraptured
Cortez arrives at an unknown shore
he is utterly lost
but he is enraptured
Cortez arrives too late.
the shore is absolutely barren, the men lost
to starvation and rapture
Cortez utters:
“lost.”
(this is the nature of description
Cortez walks upon the beach.
the ocean is as still as a map
spread out on a table.
(he takes a nap.
All the Cortezs arrive.
all the waves arrive
(this is the nature of disaster
Copyright Credit: Andrew Allport, “An Unknown Shore: Variations on a Fragment by Oppen” from The Ice Ship & Other Vessels, published by Proem Press. Copyright © 2008 by Andrew Allport. Reprinted by permission of the author.
Source: The Ice Ship & Other Vessels (Proem Press, 2008)