“. . . his
function is to make his imagination theirs . . .
to help people to live their lives.” —Wallace Stevens
You make the most of what you get:
an ear, an eye, an alphabet.
You try to help your readers live;
you give them what you have to give.
They shake their heads at page or screen
and wonder what you think you mean.
They guess the giving does you good
but can’t imagine why it would. Robert West
If you have any thoughts about this poem, Robert West would be pleased
to hear them
