from ‘THE TESTING-TREE’

In the recurring dream
        my mother stands
              in her bridal gown
under the burning lilac,
       with Bernard Shaw and Bertie
              Russell kissing her hands,
the house behind her is in ruins;
        she is wearing an owl's face
              and makes barking noises.
Her minatory finger points.
        I pass through the cardboard doorway
                askew in the field
and peer down a well
        where an albino walrus huffs
                He has the gentlest eyes.

[from THE WILD BRAID:
a poet reflects on a century in the garden.
STANLEY KUNITZ with GENINE LENTINE c2005]

Stanley Kunitz | Wikipedia entry

Kunitz’s poetry won wide praise for its profoundity and quality. He was the New York State Poet Laureate from 1987 to 1989.[15] He continued to write and publish until his centenary year, as late as 2005. Many consider that his poetry’s symbolism is influenced significantly by the work of Carl Jung. Kunitz influenced many 20th-century poets, including James Wright, Mark Doty, Louise Glück, and Carolyn Kizer.