Skip to main content
By Catherine Wing

Then came the darker sooner,


came the later lower.


We were no longer a sweeter-here


happily-ever-after. We were after ever.


We were farther and further.


More was the word we used for harder.


Lost was our standard-bearer.


Our gods were fallen faster,


and fallen larger.


The day was duller, duller


was disaster. Our charge was error.


Instead of leader we had louder,


instead of lover, never. And over this river


broke the winter’s black weather.


Catherine Wing, "The Darker Sooner" from The Best American Poetry 2010. Copyright © 2010 by Catherine Wing. Reprinted by permission of Catherine Wing.

Source: The Best American Poetry (Scribner, 2010)

  • Living
  • Love
  • Nature

Poet Bio

Catherine Wing
Poet Catherine Wing was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and attended Brown University before earning her MFA from the University of Washington. Her collections of poetry include Enter Invisible (2005), nominated for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and Gin & Bleach (2012). Her poetry has appeared in such journals as Poetry, the Nation, and the Chicago Review and has been featured in a number of anthologies, including Best American Poetry (2010) See More By This Poet

More Poems about Living

Browse poems about Living

More Poems about Love

Browse poems about Love

More Poems about Nature

Browse poems about Nature Get a random poem