Old Davis

Old Davis is a character in the poem “A Fountain, a Bottle, a Donkey’s Ears, and Some Books,” in which he and the poem’s narrator spend a day in the mountains.

There’s a line at the beginning of their journey, “Ascending to descend to reascend.” I was struck by this line upon my first reading, and it, as well as the poem as a whole, has stayed with me over the years.

Old Davis is a cowl for everyday adventures, unexpected destinations, and the people and experiences that stick with and shape us.