Richard Wilbur, “&”
From The Beautiful Changes and Other Poems (1947):
A slopeshouldered shape from scurrying burdens
Backward and forth, or perhaps a lyre
Or a clef wrung wry in tuning untunable tones
Or a knot for tugging an out-of-hand.
Vine to the trellis in clerical gardens:
Sweetness & light, ice & fire,
Nature & art have dissocketed all your bones,
Porter, poor pander ampersand.
Categorised as: writing about ampersands