A piece of a poem that I read in a book at the Dartmouth College Library in the late sixties contained these lines (or something close):
“I think there is a much more terrible thing. To be raised without one’s own consent In the cave of the mind. Like a faded fish. And to go as assuredly blind in the soul. As a Saint”
I think the poem was titled “My South”, I don’t remember the author.
This is “My South” and can be found in ‘”Damned ugly children ; poems” by Glaze, Andrew. Publication date 1966
It is also in “Someone will go on owing : selected poems, 1966-1992” by Glaze, Andrew. Publication date 1998.
Not an answer, but a clue! I googled some of the key phrases, and was pointed to an issue of The Hudson Review (Vol 20, No. 1, Spring 1967) in an article titled Review: Poetry Chronicle by George P. Elliott. The google search gave this little tidbit of the review: “…in the cave of the mind like a faded fish and to go as assuredly blind in the soul as a saint. Good enough, and quite well put, up to that last phrase …”
I didn’t have access to the entire article, just the first page.
The poem is by Andrew Glaze. It is indeed called ‘My South’, but I don’t have the full poem to hand,
Solved. Thank you.