Poets – inspired by Wendell Berry

Poets
inspired by Wendell Berry

When a poet dies,
The words don’t wither.
Instead, they gather new
Strength, to reach further
Than they reached before.

It’s here immortality resides;
In the ink that doesn’t fade,
The pages don’t bleach,
The voice never quiets,
The words won’t still,
Ideas refuse to vanish,
Pictures will not rest,
Sounds don’t cease,
Meanings persist.

This is what a poet does,
What a poet is;
A human put together
Of words, of fragments
Of the universe
Fallen to earth,
Pieces of eternity
Which find their place
In the universe again
When readers mourn.

R 02/09/2026 17:50 Norwich
edited 03/09/2026 16:50