by William Carlos Williams

    By the road to the contagious¹ hospital

    under the surge of the blue

    mottled clouds driven from the

    northeast-a cold wind.  Beyond， the

    waste of broad， muddy fields

    brown with dried weeds， standing² and fallen

    patches of standing water

    the scattering³ of tall trees

    All along the road the reddish

    purplish， forked， upstanding， twiggy⁴

    stuff of bushes and small trees

    with dead， brown leaves under them

    leafless vines-

    Lifeless in appearance， sluggish⁵

    dazed spring approaches-

    They enter the new world naked，

    cold， uncertain of all

    save that they enter.  All about them

    the cold， familiar wind-

    Now the grass， tomorrow

    the stiff curl of wildcarrot leaf

    One by one objects are defined-

    It quickens：  clarity， outline of leaf

    But now the stark dignity of

    entrance-Still， the profound change

    has come upon them：  rooted， they

    grip down and begin to awaken

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