Praise the Fog around us now: Hides the vileness that we shun,
Protects us from other worlds till another day is done.
Curse the Fog around us now: Hides the beauty that we seek,
Causes us to lose our way and so makes the day seem bleak.
A Fog lies in our valleys, but ne’er upon our true peaks.
Fogs are chosen by the Prideful, as sure as by the Meek.
Fog can be the product of sympathetic tears that greet
The Victims in their own undoings when touched by Passion’s heat.
As for me, I am resolved; for who of us is to tell
If the path I’ve chosen leads to my heaven or my hell?
I wish that I could ask you Fog: “What makes you so damn sure
That we’ll lose sight of our goals, and our patience won’t endure?
For the day is very young and the Sun is rising fast;
Soon she’ll cauterize you canker: free from ourselves at last!”
Joe Girard © 1981-1993
This was originally drafted in November, 1981 while driving alone on I-90 through the Cascade mountains to go hiking. Then I called it “I-90 Fog”. Years later, in 1993, I found it and re-wrote it into a Sonnet of classic 14 lines: 3 quatrains and a couplet. To be clever, I made each line 14 syllables as well. I think I entered it in a contest — obviously I did not win anything. 🙂
Elizabeth Barrett Browning doesn’t have anything to worry about.
Here is the original “I-90 Fog”
Curse the Fog around us now
Hides the beauty that we seek
Causes us to go cautiously
Makes the day seem bleak.
Praise the Fog around us now
Hides the beauty that we shun
Protects us from another World
‘Til another day is done.
And if we choose to go on
Who of us is to tell
If the road we choose to follow
leads to our heaven … or our hell?
Wish that I could ask you Fog,
“What makes you so damn sure,
We will lose sight of our goals,
Our patience won’t endure.
“For the day is very young yet,
And the sun is rising fast,
Soon he’ll burn you from us,
Free from ourselves at last!”