Kinds of Wind

WIND in the stiff green wheat,
A thistly sound and sweet;
Wind in the barley tassels,
A heavy silk that rustles;
Wind seething in the leaves,
Waves on unbreaking waves.
The greening wind is kind,
Coming from West or South
All gently to unbind.

There is a fiercer blast
That fills the whole sky’s mouth,
That comes from North or East,
A god who can break through
The massive clouds to show
The coldest purest blue,
Or sometimes sudden snow.
Impersonal, immense,
It rushes toward silence.

Who feels this other wind,
Less gentle and less kind,
This cleansing ruthless will,
Learns the wind’s heart is still,
Learns that pure love lies there
With grave wide open eyes,
The huge, the quiet skies,
The depth on depth of air.