another reading
The blue sky is crystal clear today.
No clouds in sight.
Which means day four of no rain dropping on my head, the house, the earth.
Millie and I went for a walk.
Breathing in the fresh, crisp, dry air.
But it is cold.
Ears-hurting cold.
So I will warm up with a bath
and another poetry reading in the tub.
I think I will start with these words by William Stafford.
Things That Happen
Sometimes before great events a person will try,
disguised, at his best, not to be a clown:
he feels, "A great event is coming, bow down."
And I, always looking for something anyway,
always bow down.
Once, later than dawn but early,
before the lines of the calendar fell,
one of those events turned an unseen corner
and came near, near, sounding before it
somethign the opposite from a leper's bell.
We were back of three mountains called
"Sisters" along the Green Lakes trail
and had crossed a ridge when that
one little puff of air touched us,
hardly felt at all.
That was the greatest event that day;
it righted all wrong.
I remember it, the way the dust moved there.
Something had come out of the ground
and moved calmly along.
No one was ahead of us, no one
in all that moon-like land.
Oh, I thought, how hard the world has tried
with its wind, its miles, its blundering
stumbling days, again and again, to find my hand.
(from Allegiance new poems by William Stafford)
poetry
Reader Comments (10)
This is my first blog entry. I can't imagine a better place to do it then your site. This seems really neat and a great way to express yourself and put thoughts out into the world. And what a great solution to the enchiladas issue. I think I will make enchiladas tomorrow.
i'm inspired! i think i need to have my own poetry reading tonight. what a wonderful poem.
My writing teacher is a poet. I can hear her perfect poetry reading voice reading your poem. I like "ears-hurting cold" and "breathing in the fresh, crisp, dry air"
Hope you enjoyed your poetry reading night. It's such a great idea...sitting with the words amongst the bubbles. And such great words they are...yours and the poet's too!
Don't know William Staford but will try and find him, now.
Liz....I love the poetry! and did you get that wonderful bath???? hope so! Have an awesome weekend!
I tagged you, but only do it if you feel inspired. the questions are traveling the aw ropes. :)
What a great poem to share with us! I love having my own poetry readings...thanks for inspiring it within me tonight ;)
liz, I am in love with William Stafford and wish so much he were still alive. I don't have the book with this poem of his, but do have several others. He is without a doubt one of my favorite 4 or 5 poets ever. In every single poem of his, if I read it slowly and attentively, I find huge meaning, like the current of the river under the ice (that was in one of his poems I quoted on my blog) ... his poems are evocative, deep, emotive. I love them, so it's great to see you are quoting him on your blog. I think you and I have traded Stafford quotes before.
This one touched me today:
how hard the world has tried
with its wind, its miles, its blundering
stumbling days, again and again, to find my hand
Today I need that hand. there are lots of days I need to look around me and find that hand.
thanks for posting that. It's beautiful and I hope you had a relaxing bath reading this uplifting poet's words.
Maureen
Hello Liz,
I needed to find that Stafford poem today, and seven years earlier -- or later -- here it is!
Thank you very much,
Robert