Poetry, VOLUME 3

Poem: “The Fool’s Song” – William Carlos Williams [Vol. 3, #35]

The Fool’s Song
William Carlos Williams

( Found in
The Collected Poems of
William Carlos Williams, Vol. 1: 1909-1939
)

I tried to put a bird in a cage.
    O fool that I am!
  For the bird was Truth.
    Sing merrily, Truth: I tried to put
  Truth in a cage!

And when I had the bird in the cage,
    O fool that I am!
  Why, it broke my pretty cage.
    Sing merrily, Truth; I tried to put
  Truth in a cage!

And when the bird was flown from the cage,
    O fool that I am!
  Why, I had nor bird nor cage.
    Sing merrily, Truth: I tried to put
Truth in a cage!
  Heigh-ho! Truth in a cage.

C. Christopher Smith is the founding editor of The Englewood Review of Books. He is also author of a number of books, including most recently How the Body of Christ Talks: Recovering the Practice of Conversation in the Church (Brazos Press, 2019). Connect with him online at: C-Christopher-Smith.com

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