William Jay Smith (1918-2015) was born in Louisiana, of Choctaw ancestry; he served as poet in residence at Williams College from 1959-68, serving a term in the Vermont legislature during that period.
Later, had a home in Cummington and was a Lenox resident when he died in 2015. From 1968-70, Smith was consultant in poetry to the Library of Congress, forerunner to today’s Poet Laureate.
Poetry by William Jay Smith
Here are the opening stanzas of his poem, Touch the Air Softly:
Now touch the air softly, step gently, one, two …
I’ll love you ’til roses are robin’s egg blue;
I’ll love you ’til gravel is eaten for bread,
And lemons are orange, and lavender’s red.
Now touch the air softly, swing gently the broom.
I’ll love you ’til windows are all of a room;
And the table is laid, And the table is bare,
And the ceiling reposes on bottomless air.