Welcome back to the Daily Poem, a podcast from Goldberry Studios.

I'm Sean Johnson, and today is Friday, June 14th, 2024.

Today we have part two of Donald Davidson's poem, Lee in the Mountains.

This haunting poem in the voice of Lee, many years after the Civil War has ended,

wrestling with regret, self-doubt, shame, sorrow,

you know, those really juicy $5 emotions, the good stuff.

So without further ado, here is part two of Lee in the mountains.

If you missed part one, you can find it in

yesterday's episode at

Daily Poempod.substack

com or wherever you get

your daily poem episodes.

The rest

must go unsaid and the lips be locked.

If all were told, as it cannot be told, if all the dread opinion of the heart now could speak,

now in the shame and torment lashing the bound and trampled states,

if a word were said as it cannot be said, I see

clear waters run in Virginia's valley, and in the house the weeping of young women rises no more.

The waves of grain begin. The Shenandoah is golden with a new grain. The blue ridge, crowned with a haze of light, thunders no more.

The horses at plow, the rifle returns to the chimney crotch and the hunter's hand.

And nothing else than this?

Was it for this that on an April day we stacked our arms obedient to a soldier's trust, to lie ground

...