"Clean Places" by Carter Vance - Contest Entry

Clean Places

by Carter Vance

If there is some grander notion,to these ether trailings
of sunlight across splendour brick
clicking of chatter heels against
stone, then it is unrevealed
against the washing of winter
coat flows, as much so as
under watchful burning
space of warmer times.

There may yet be some clockworkdesign to the patching of curtain
draws on days too blank to
pass inside, yet still too knife-showing
to venture out.

Then go to some places, scrubbeddown and seeing to welcome,
but filed down from all threat,
tensed of all teeth-bearing exercise,
in the contemplation of old air
where you could belong.

Not even there, though, wasa planning pen found amid
rubbish bins, hesitant tea cups,
broken spindle casing,

there being no sketchbooktracing of myself in famed
rooms.