PRISMATIC VIEW
Our daily prismatic view sorts
the world into clashing colours—
silver ripples, mustard leaves,
grey painted board and batten,
lichen-spangle boulders, crisp
imported fabrics that flatter
those who don’t need flattering.
We must unfold the spectrum.
The glass surface of our minds
smooths out the natural light
and normalises arrogant hues
that frighten children and dogs.
In our youth we startled at
the faintest hint of artifice.
Now the unmoored hues comfort
rather than confront us. The river
coughs up neutral tones to ease
the gnashing of construction sites.
We still hate to see the planet
exposed to its raw geology
but we’ve hefted the deadweight
of being human so long we know
how ugly we look on the inside
where molts of creation continue.
William Doreski lives in Peterborough, New Hampshire. He has taught at several colleges and universities. His most recent book of poetry is Cloud Mountain (2024). He has published three critical studies, including Robert Lowell’s Shifting Colors. His essays, poetry, fiction, and reviews have appeared in various journals.
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