Hibernal

Hibernal
by Emily Wilson

White-throated sparrow
throating out

spring the winter-
spring uptaken in

tracking the
moving subject moving off toward its lone
demolition compound

lumened limit
something human
reaching it

would not be reached
sprung, strung

subsumed
the forb in-wielding what
it wields

deep rebounding strain
incurrent colors in the grain
broken through

one-two, one-two

let into
zones of a
strident radiation

2 thoughts on “Hibernal

  1. I want to understand this, but it’s difficult. The white-throated sparrow is a spring migrant, and I’m thinking “its lone demolition compound” may be winter’s last remnant of snow still emitting, by the sun perhaps, “strident radiation.” The “forb” and “grain” elude to the vegetation to come, but the grain could also be in the snow. The transition from winter to spring–the sequence of “one-two, one-two”–is either reachable or unreachable by humans; yet the poet is trying to capture it. Not quite reaching me.

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