Pool

This brief lyric finds Dunbar at his most quietly transcendent. The poem centers on a small pool, rendered with delicate precision, as Dunbar explores the way still water becomes a mirror for the sky and the soul. Written in standard English rather than dialect, the piece showcases his mastery of formal verse and his gift for finding profound meaning in humble nature. The pool becomes a space of reflection, where the speaker confronts questions of depth, perception, and the boundary between the seen and unseen world. Dunbar's characteristic elegance of language elevates this simple scene into something meditative and quietly powerful, a moment of suspension between earth and heavens.