Collected Poems 1961, Robert Graves – foto Smith
In Broken Images
— by Robert Graves
He is quick, thinking in clear images;
I am slow, thinking in broken images.
He becomes dull, trusting to his clear images;
I become sharp, mistrusting my broken images,
Trusting his images, he assumes their relevance;
Mistrusting my images, I question their relevance.
Assuming their relevance, he assumes the fact,
Questioning their relevance, I question the fact.
When the fact fails him, he questions his senses;
When the fact fails me, I approve my senses.
He continues quick and dull in his clear images;
I continue slow and sharp in my broken images.
He in a new confusion of his understanding;
I in a new understanding of my confusion.
— Robert Graves, 1929
This poem reminds me of my own take on this . . . totally different of course and 57 years between them, but same bedrock foundation.
Damaged Good
The doubting vessel
Strong, unbroken
Sours water, ruins wine
The damaged vessel
Holds its token
Service, beauty, duty, time
The one excuses
The other uses
Which in fact the finer find
The better bitter
The lesser greater
Truth is action, action prime
— Smith, 1986
It all depends on what you’re looking for – foto Smith