Poetry Performed Episode 029 - Gulls by William Carlos Williams

As the Christian world makes its way through holy week, we take our cue with an Easter poem from William Carlos Williams: Gulls.

Gulls by William Carlos Williams

My townspeople, beyond in the great world,
are many with whom it were far more
profitable for me to live than here with you.
These whirr about me calling, calling!
and for my own part I answer them, loud as I can,
but they, being free, pass!
I remain! Therefore, listen!
For you will not soon have another singer.

First I say this: you have seen
the strange birds, have you not, that sometimes
rest upon our river in winter?
Let them cause you to think well then of the storms
that drive many to shelter. These things
do not happen without reason.

And the next thing I say is this:
I saw an eagle once circling against the clouds
over one of our principal churches—
Easter, it was—a beautiful day!
three gulls came from above the river
and crossed slowly seaward!
Oh, I know you have your own hymns, I have heard them—
and because I knew they invoked some great protector
I could not be angry with you, no matter
how much they outraged true music—

You see, it is not necessary for us to leap at each other,
and, as I told you, in the end
the gulls moved seaward very quietly.

William Carlos Williams was a doctor as well as a poet, and during medical school he befriended the writer Ezra Pound. Pound had a great influence on the work of Williams, who published throughout his life while maintaining his medical practice in Rutherford, New Jersey, which was also his childhood home. Born in 1883, he died at the age of 79 in March 1963.

Theme music provided by David Hilowitz.