Forgotten Fields

As I work on “Mist from the Mountains”, I think inevitably of two poems that have had a significant influence on my idea of poetry: “Le Brouillard” (“The Fog”) by Maurice Carême (which I adore) and “Fog” by Carl Sandberg (which I at once love and abhor).

Incidentally, from my Twitter archive:

Taught in Afrikaans schools, my exposure to English poetry was limited. My first memorable encounter was "Fog" by Carl Sandburg. The teacher recited it with arms outstretched, slowly advancing, to imitate the mist. The class laughed at her performance, but I was lost in the poem! pic.twitter.com/KxFEaoNoJ4

— Forgotten Fields (@forgottenfield) November 26, 2018

There are many ways to express something simple in poetry. As I work on these verses, I often think of a (now ex) friend's mocking response after reciting to them Maurice Carême's "Le Brouillard": "So, three verses to say: The mist is thick."

— Forgotten Fields (@forgottenfield) January 22, 2019

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