Summary

“On the Pulse of Morning” opens with “A Rock, A River, A Tree” (1), which the unnamed speaker notes have been homes to “species long since departed” (2) like mastodons and dinosaurs. In the second stanza, the perspective of the poem shifts to the present day as the Rock itself “cries out to us” (9). The Rock grants permission to “stand upon my / Back and face your distant destiny” (10-11) but warns against hiding or seeking refuge in ignorance. Addressing humankind, the Rock denounces those who “have crouched too long in / The bruising darkness” (15-16) and who use “words / Armed for slaughter” (19-20). The Rock ends its speech by reiterating its call for transparency: “you may stand upon me / But do not hide your face” (21-22).

In the fifth stanza, The River invites us to “rest here by my side” (25) and assumes the role of speaker. It...