ANDREE REXROTH
Died October, 1940

Now once more gray mottled buckeye branch
Explode their emerald stars,
And alders smoulder in a rosy smoke
Of innumerable buds.
I know that spring again is splendid
As ever, the hidden thrush
As sweetly tongued, the sun as vital-
But these are the forest trails we walked together,
These paths, ten years together.
We thought the years would last forever,
They are all gone now, the days
We thought would not come for us are
Bright trout poised in the current-
The raccoon’s track at the water’s edge-
A bittern booming in the distance-
Your ashes scattered on this mountain-
Moving seaward on this stream.

-Kenneth Rexroth

Berklee’s poetry Walk was laid in October 2003 along Edison Street between Shattuck and Milvia Streets. The route includes 128 metal plates with excerpts from songs, each of which is related in one way or another to the city of Berkeley.

The plaque features a poem by the American poet Kenneth Rexroth (1905-1982), who is considered a central figure in the San Francisco Renaissance. He dedicates the song to his wife who was a painter and died 13 years after their marriage