7/18/2019 The Seagull

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“The Seagull”

by Stanley Moss; introduced by James Crews

Published: 23 October 2012

Stanley Moss (b. 1925) has always written challenin !oe"s that arue #or the necessity o# "yth

in "odern li#e$ e%en while &uestionin the role o# reliion. 'ritin in American Poetry Review$ the

 !oet and critic hristo!her uc*ley described how +the strenth o# Moss,s !oe"s lies in the #act

that he can continue the aru"ent and *ee! it i""ediate to our li%es$ where we are at the end o# all

this ti"e in relation to -od$ "yth$ s*e!ticis"$ the unre%iseable #acts o# death on an indi%idual and

lare scale. /ndeed$ Moss o#ten a!!roaches his subects with a "i o# authority and hu"ility$

es!ecially when con#rontin the issue o# our alienation #ro" the natural world.

i*e "ost o# Moss,s !oe"s$ +he Seaull un#olds slowly$ beinnin with what "iht see" "ere

nostalia$ until the s!ea*er describes how +4 !ieon in a bliard #luttered 6 aainst a *itchenwindow$ 6 7 "y #irst clear "e"ory o# terror. ut was it his own +terror that the bird "iht brea* 

throuh the lass$ or was it that o# the !ieon8 Moss i%es us no clear answers$ and ca!tures the

o!enness with which we a!!roach the world as children$ unclouded by #ied ideas. /n tellin us how

he +hun a rey and white stu##ed 6 #elt seaull #ro" the cord o# "y window shade$ the s!ea*er 

de"onstrates our basic hu"an need to "a*e a +senseless sy"bol o# what we #ind in nature. /n this

sense$ the !oe" is a *ind o# eley #or a ti"e o# co""union$ when the s!ea*er encountered an

ani"al$ !ut hi"sel# in its !lace and #elt what it #elt.

The Seagull 

'hen / was a child$ be#ore / *new the word

#or a snowstor"$ be#ore / re"e"ber

a tree or a #ield$

/ saw an endless rey slate a#ternoon co"in$

/ *new a bird sinin in the sun

was the sa"e as a do bar*in in the dar*.

4 !ieon in a bliard #luttered

aainst a *itchen window$

 7 "y #irst clear "e"ory o# terror$

/ *e!t secret$ "y inti"ations

/ *e!t secret.

his winter / hun a rey and white stu##ed

#elt seaull #ro" the cord o# "y window

shade$

a re"inder o# ood ti"es by the sea$

o# he*ho% and i"!ossible lo%e.

/ too* co"#ort #ro" the ull$ the race#ul

sha!e

so"eti"es li#ted a win in the dra#ty roo".

Once when / loo*ed at the ull / saw

throuh the window a li%in seaull lidetoward "e then disa!!ear$ 7 what a rush o#

li#e

/ re"e"ber its hereness$

while inside the roo"

the senseless sy"bol

little "ore than a bedroo" sli!!er

danled on a strin.

eyond aru"ent$ "y oldest e"otion

hans li*e a ull in the distant s*y.

yes behind bars o# "ud and salt

see so"e dar* thin below$

 7 "y roo# under the sea.

Only the s*y is ta*en #or ranted.

/n the &uiet "ornin liht$

terror,s the only bird / *now$

 7 althouh birds ha%e #ed #ro" "y hand.

S4;< MOSS (19=2)