A.R. Ammons

I've been reading a lot of Ammons lately, and I wanted to share some short ones:

SUCCESS STORY

I never got on good
relations with the world

first I had nothing
the world wanted

then the world had
nothing I wanted


CORRECTION

The burdens of the world
on my back
lighten the world
not a whit while
removing them greatly
decreases my specific
gravity


LEANING UP

The storm that downed
the living pine
left the dead hickory

standing:
barkless, stub-knobbed,
den-hole riddled,

the hickory
will
be around while

the heavy, heaving living
carry on carrying
nearly too much to bear alive.

-A.R. Ammons