The James Hearst Digital Archive

Home » Poetry » Deaf Ear

Deaf Ear

Text of Poem

You said you would come and
your promise filled the day with
wings of light. The sky stripped
itself for frost, a stonechill gripped
the earth and a few snapdragons spoke
for the garden’s faded pride. But I
was like spring in my joy for the tune
I made from your words and when the phone
rang I sang the louder to drown out
the tolling of any bell.

First Line
You said you would come and
Original Pub Location
Original Publication Date
1970
Original Citation
Chicago Tribune Magazine (29 March 1970) 11.
Complete Poems
226
Word Count
69
Poetic Form
open
Themes