American Prize Fight (Heard in Canada)
A Midwesterner educated at Stanford and Cornell (where in 1940 he wrote his Ph.D. thesis on Henry Adams), ROBERT A. HUME now teaches English at the University of Nevada. He lives with his wife and three children on a minute ranch at the western edge of Reno. In contemplative moments he can look out upon the Sierra Nevada.
by ROBERT A. HUME
STRIKING the hospital lawn the Canadian sun
half-blinds the grass with yellow; grouped around,
the three-quarters bodies of heroes drip deep tan,
half-blinds the grass with yellow; grouped around,
the three-quarters bodies of heroes drip deep tan,
and the guileless ether detonates with the sound
a radio announcer makes as the titan event
extrudes red shoulders from the womb. Resigned
a radio announcer makes as the titan event
extrudes red shoulders from the womb. Resigned
to imminence these veterans lie, eyes bent
in forbearing, hourly contemplation of war’s
cheap lifetime gift of mutilation, and the tint
in forbearing, hourly contemplation of war’s
cheap lifetime gift of mutilation, and the tint
of agony seems lighter, brushed by the roars
of a million-dollar ringside and the voice
of the announcer febrilely crying, It nears, it nears,
of a million-dollar ringside and the voice
of the announcer febrilely crying, It nears, it nears,
the clock brings on the moment. But before the boys
(white-fisted Pittsburgh, brown-ditto Detroit) emerge
from the locker rooms, a sponsoring company’s
(white-fisted Pittsburgh, brown-ditto Detroit) emerge
from the locker rooms, a sponsoring company’s
official spatters all eardrums with loyal surge:
Just back from Europe, a two weeks’ tour by air,
twenty-one countries looked at; and none of them, large
Just back from Europe, a two weeks’ tour by air,
twenty-one countries looked at; and none of them, large
or small (ah, yes, they’re starving) can even compare
with old U.S.A. By golly, to put on a show
like this it takes America; what’s more —
with old U.S.A. By golly, to put on a show
like this it takes America; what’s more —
His fool’s words crumple under a sudden blow
of sane Canadian laughter: out of these torn
young bodies, whole contempt. Face turned, I draw
of sane Canadian laughter: out of these torn
young bodies, whole contempt. Face turned, I draw
quick breaths of shame. O land where I was born,
O my country! Let wisdom’s muted trumpet
once be heard, not always idiocy’s horn.
O my country! Let wisdom’s muted trumpet
once be heard, not always idiocy’s horn.