Read "Tryst At Lobos" at The Eldritch Dark:
This haiku from Clark Ashton Smith (CAS) re-visits the setting of "Pool At Lobos", which I looked at in an earlier blog post.
What captures my attention is the unusual noun "balsams" in the last line. The word most often refers to sap that is exuded by some plant species, such as the cypress trees that are mentioned in the poem. However, it can also describe something that has healing or soothing properties, as in the Oxford English Dictionary's illustrative quote from Tennyson's "Becket":
Was not the people's blessing as we pastHeart-comfort and a balsam to thy blood?
That usage gives "Tryst At Lobos" a wonderful sense of fond remembrance, even while prompting the unnamed partner to contemplate a future meeting somewhere in the spectacular landscape of Point Lobos. Who could resist such an invitation?
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