The Stars Go Over The Lonely Ocean

Robinson Jeffers

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Unhappy about some far off things
That are not my affair, wandering
Along the coast and up the lean ridges,
I saw in the evening
The stars go over the lonely ocean,
And a black-maned wild boar
Plowing with his snout on Mal Paso Mountain.

The old monster snuffled, "Here are sweet roots,
Fat grubs, slick beetles and sprouted acorns.
The best nation in Europe has fallen,
And that is Finland,
But the stars go over the lonely ocean,"
The old black-bristled boar,
Tearing the sod on Mal Paso Mountain.

"The world's in a bad way, my man,
And bound to be worse before it mends;
Better lie up in the mountain here
Four or five centuries,
While the stars go over the lonely ocean,"
Said the old father of wild pigs,
Plowing the fallow on Mal Paso Mountain.

"Keep clear of the dupes that talk democracy
And the dogs that talk revolution,
Drunk with talk, liars and believers.
I believe in my tusks.
Long live freedom and damn the ideologies,"
Said the gamey black-maned boar
Tusking the turf on Mal Paso Mountain.

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Comments1
  • S.D

    This poem realy makes you feel the lonliness and creates a beautiful image of the stars over the ocean. Kinda gave me the chills, but in a good way. The part with the boar talking gave character to it and made me think. Also, the mention of democracy and revolution made it feel current, like we're all dealing with our own issues. Overall, it's a beautiful poem, full of vivid imagary and deep meanings, despite being a bit hard to fully understand at first.