It's I think one of the best of Williams' short
poems. A little background. The woman seems to
always have been ill-natured, and neither
Williams nor Flossie were particularly fond of
her. That sneer at the end, "What are all
those/ fuzzy-looking things out there?/ Trees?
Well, I'm tired/ of them," says it all. No ideas but in things.
Mark
At 04:23 PM 3/21/2006, you wrote:
>Yes, this one never met my radar. "Crotchety and old age" - throwing word
>rocks at the reaper - go hand and hand. The last drama we will ever know.
>Makes getting beating up on the school yard a minor event, I am told, or can
>imagine being told - the victims are usually slow to report,or leave it up
>to us, as WCW here!
>
>Stephen V
>
>
>
>
> > It's a beautiful poem, Jon, one that I've always loved.
> >
> > Best
> >
> > Dave
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Jon Corelis" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 8:42 PM
> > Subject: A corrective to trees
> >
> >
> > The Last Words Of My English Grandmother
> >
> >
> > by William Carlos Williams
> >
> >
> > There were some dirty plates
> > and a glass of milk
> > beside her on a small table
> > near the rank, disheveled bed‹
> >
> > Wrinkled and nearly blind
> > she lay and snored
> > rousing with anger in her tones
> > to cry for food,
> >
> > Gimme something to eat‹
> > They're starving me‹
> > I'm all right I won't go
> > to the hospital. No, no, no
> >
> > Give me something to eat
> > Let me take you
> > to the hospital, I said
> > and after you are well
> >
> > you can do as you please.
> > She smiled, Yes
> > you do what you please first
> > then I can do what I please‹
> >
> > Oh, oh, oh! she cried
> > as the ambulance men lifted
> > her to the stretcher‹
> > Is this what you call
> >
> > making me comfortable?
> > By now her mind was clear‹
> > Oh you think you're smart
> > you young people,
> >
> > she said, but I'll tell you
> > you don't know anything.
> > Then we started.
> > On the way
> >
> > we passed a long row
> > of elms. She looked at them
> > awhile out of
> > the ambulance window and said,
> >
> > What are all those
> > fuzzy-looking things out there?
> > Trees? Well, I'm tired
> > of them and rolled her head away.
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