The little sparrows
Hop ingenuously
About the pavement
Quarreling
With sharp voices
Over those things
That interest them.
But we who are wiser
Shut ourselves in
On either hand
And no one knows
Whether we think good
Or evil.
Then again,
The old man who goes about
Gathering dog lime
Walks in the gutter
Without looking up
And his tread
Is more majestic than
That of the Episcopal minister
Approaching the pulpit
Of a Sunday.
These things
Astonish me beyond words.
– William Carlos Williams, “Pastoral”
Words for the Year 
I love the ending of this poem: “These things / Astonish me beyond words.” 🙂
Do you know what “dog lime” is? I googled it and couldn’t find a definitive answer, but found this:
https://wordsmith.org/board/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=224063
LikeLike
I read somewhere that he meant dog poop. But I’ve never heard the term used myself.
LikeLike
That’s interesting, Brian. An old man gathering dog poop — wow!
LikeLike
I don’t know where I originally read about it being dog poop, but here is another citation by a gardener.
https://www.twincities.com/2017/12/09/dog-feces-fertilizer-blundering-gardener/
LikeLike
Thanks for that link, Brian! I’m going to read those lines as lines about an old man gathering dog poop to use as fertilizer. I can see how the majesty of an old man gathering dog poop could be astonishing beyond words. 🙂
LikeLike