A poem from Susan Higgins Donnelly, who wrote, “It occurs to me that you might like to see a new poem of mine, written from a Times obituary of the late Robert L. Herbert (1929-2020), Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Humanities at MHC, and author of Impressionism. I was struck by his ardent attachment to color and beauty, throughout his long life.” May 2022.
Your favorite blue
Of the larches in Mt. Holyoke’s Prospect Park,
he tells a reporter from The Amherst Bulletin,
“They turn yellow in late October, and when
they get to be about seventy-five years old,
they develop a wonderful bark that looks like
oval shingles hung one above the other.”
Nearly ninety, he walks the campus daily,
looking as intent as the much younger man
in his obituary photograph
–arms folded, trim beard, striped jersey
who might be setting off for some
plein air work along the Brittany coast.
A landmark book, decades of teaching,
the Legion of Honor medal he never wore,
all fading as he looks to the window,
points toward Lower Lake:
“You can see the blue reflections as you walk
up the hillside from the lake. The blue pops up
between the tree trunks. This will become
your favorite blue, as it is mine.”
Susan Donnelly
