Your Sunday Poem

If you try this, you’ll see exactly what Billy’s talking about. Interesting thing, perception, and what we think we see and how much of what we think we see isn’t there at all. It’s inside our heads. Made up. From his 1995 book, “The Art of Drowning” by Billy Collins.

Horizon

You can use the brush of a Japanese monk
or a pencil stub from a race track

as long as you draw the line a third
the way up from the bottom of the page,

the effect is the same; the world suddenly
divided into its elemental realms.

A moment ago there was only a piece of paper.
Now there is earth and sky, sky and sea.

You were sitting alone in a small room.
Now you are walking into the heat of a vast desert

or standing on the ledge of a winter beach
watching the light on the water, light in the air.