Reading by Ways

--A. R. Ammons

The epicurean (and stoic) philosophers,

monists and 

dualists,

are interesting (they show

that time over time

unwinds nearly the same story) but

how can I resist the creek,

slowing over depth

or breaking into shiny ramshackles

on a rise of pebbles or blurring

storm history in weed-slants

along high banks: I get

caught up in clouds illustrating

the sky or muddying out: I can't 

get enough of nodding

adjustments when a

squirrel leaps on or off a branch,

the trail quaking: still, I

like when the old philosopher says

live unknown, whole

histories like unread creeks.