An Alpine valley gored by ancient ice
The shadow of the mountain to the west
Falls sharply down, the sun lights up the rest,
That’s set behind one hill. I’ve seen this twice.
I saw it daily as a valley child
But one day understood the shadow, hill,
And beams of sun that intersected still
All as the world moved round. I saw. I smiled.
There’s valley after valley, I thought then
All round the world! (Forgetting seas and plains)
And each one sees the sun in turn and when
The shadow falls and brings the night’s dark stains
The world keeps turning to the sun again
To light the hills and terminal moraines.
(I do know now that the whole world is not made up entirely of glaciated valley landscapes! But it was really gorgeous going on the train through the Alps and seeing this phenomenon on a bigger scale.)
26th September 2022, Lyon
