“Outskirts” by Sacheverell Sitwell

"Outskirts"

The gold voice of the sunset was most clearly in the air

As I wandered through the outskirts of the town.

 

And here disposed upon the grass, I see

Confetti-thick the amorous couples,—

What thoughts, what scenes, evoke, evaporate

In leaden minds like theirs?

Can I create them? These things

Which mean the happiness of multitudes?

A river bank, grass for a dancing floor,

The concertina's wail, and then the darkening day.

 

Raise your eyes from ground to trees

And see them stretch elastically

Tall and taller,—then look along

 

[ . . . ]

 

Sacheverell Sitwell's poem "Outskirts" was published in the 1918 "cycle" of the Wheels anthology. To read this poem in full in a digitized version of this publication, follow the link(s) below:

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