Wednesday, October 17, 2007

The Winding Stair

Set all your mind upon the steep ascent,
Upon the broken, crumbling battlement,
Upon the breathless starlit air,
'Upon the star that marks the hidden pole;
Fix every wandering thought upon
That quarter where all thought is done:
Who can distinguish darkness from the soul

~
The Winding Stair
William Butler Yeats


Photo: Hiking trail at Hoyt Park; Madison, WI




 

4 comments:

Cole Reising said...

Thank you for sharing this from Yeats! This was exactly what I was looking for! :-)

Cole

Annie said...

Did you climb the stairs? Your mind, was it set upon the stepping up toward the unknown? This is a beautiful poem/photo combination, Heather.

I was just in Madison last week but didn't know about Hoyt Park. Had I, I might have run into you there. I'm sure I would have climbed the stairs.

Jana said...

Lovely poem/picture combo. :)

Heather said...

Jana and Cole~ You're welcome, and thank YOU!

Annie~ Yes, I did climb the stairs. There's a narrow path that runs along the edge of the hill, but this path is situated in such a way that you can't tell what is at the top of the stairs until you're there. There is another path leading down in opposite direction of the stairs that I will have to follow another time.

I'm not surprised you didn't know about Hoyt Park, though, as a lot of Madisonians don't know about it, either - or at least how to get there. It is located on Madison's near west side off Regent Street, very close to Resurrection Cemetery, in a quiet residential area. Perhaps you can see it on your next visit! ;)