The Poetry Pantry Is Now Open - Week #15

 Happy Halloween from Poets United!

The Poetry Pantry

2nd Chance Poems or 1st time shares

Anything goes!! All Poems, all Poets, All Week!!

Do you have a poem you would like to share? Something that you just felt inspired to write and want others to read. Perhaps it’s a poem that didn’t get as much exposure on your blog as you would have liked. Maybe it’s a poem that you wrote a long time ago that you would like people to revisit. That’s what this section of Poets United is for.

Classic Poetry (A Poison Tree - William Blake)

Since its Halloween and we have already shared a Poe poem we will rely on William Blake to share his dark side.

A Poison Tree

I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

Poet History #8 - Derek Walcott

Derek Walcott 1930- Present
Written by Eileen T O'Neill

I have chosen to write about a poet who has written one of the most beautiful poems that I have ever read entitled, Love after Love.......

This poem was the epigraph in the novel The Time Traveller’s Wife, written by Audrey Niffenegger.

Love after Love

The time will come

when, with elation

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door, in your own mirror,

and you will smile at the other’s welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart

to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored

for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,

peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life.

Copyright Derek Walcott

Derek Walcott was born in St Castries, St Lucia on 23rd January 1930. St Lucia, a tiny island in the eastern Caribbean, was at that time an outpost of the British Empire. At the age of fourteen years, he had his first poem published in the local newspaper, The Voice of St Lucia, on August 2nd 1944. It consisted of forty four lines of Miltonic-Wordsworthian blank verse.

The Thursday Think Tank - #21 Fear

I know its Halloween for some folks this weekend and a Halloween theme would be appropriate but I don’t want to limit our creativity to poems about Jack-O-Lanterns and Witches (and I’m not referring to mother-in-laws) so I decided to take a part of the fright filled holiday and use that. This week’s prompt is fear.

Poem of the Week (26 October 2010) Resentment

Selected by Mary Kling

This poem can be found at:

Resentment

Anger in me will not be quenched

a scream pent up

an earthy cry

becomes a prayer for freedom.

Winds, skies, and trees call me

I am gripped by the fury

of ocean crashing into castles

built of sand

of destruction and untold truths.

I am pricked by sharp unending nights

monsters that bare razor teeth, evil eyes

rage creeps in, dense and black

my call for freedom goes unheard.

The very meaning of life extinguished

in bold thoughts and uncontrolled roars

pain and questions without answers

I am challenged by the call of the day

come walk, talk, love, and be

where do I put the anger while I live?

Resentment lies on the surface

a seething volcano thrusts mountains aside,

an eternally searing flame

chars the thought of freedom.

I am vitalized by writing and creation

I am energized by a palette and brush

challenged by an undetermined tomorrow,

through the anger and the fire

the Phoenix rises

brings hope of another day, another time

I am lifted by shaping what is to be.

~ Judy Roney

(This poem was selected by Mary Kling.  She is currently one of our contributors and poets found here at Poets United.  Her hard work and help with Poets United can be found in nearly every corner of this site and for this we are grateful. If you would like to learn more about Mary or read some of her own poetry you can visit her blog "In the Corner of My Eye" or keep an eye out for more of her posts. 

Poetry Blog of the Week - (25 October 2010) Modernity's Muse

Written by Robert Lloyd

This week we go where words become the sound that gives voice to dreams. Now that’s a quotable line if I ever heard one, just not a line that I wrote. That poignant and wonderful statement belongs to our latest blog of the week Modernity’s Muse. When you visit this unique and thought provoking blog you will find that statement dangling right below the page title, calling to those who pass through to delve deeper into the heart of this site. This teaser is just merely the beginning of a poet’s blog that is overflowing with a wealth of creativity and poetic talent. That poet is Dasuntoucha.

The Poetry Pantry Is Now Open - Week #14

The Poetry Pantry

2nd Chance Poems or 1st time shares

Anything goes!! All Poems, all Poets, All Week!!

Do you have a poem you would like to share? Something that you just felt inspired to write and want others to read. Perhaps it’s a poem that didn’t get as much exposure on your blog as you would have liked. Maybe it’s a poem that you wrote a long time ago that you would like people to revisit. That’s what this section of Poets United is for.

Classic Poetry (She Walks In Beauty - Lord Byron )

She Walks In Beauty

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

Poet History # 7 - Anne Sexton

Anne Sexton (November 9th, 1928 – October 4th, 1974)
Written by bkmackenzie

Anne Gray Harvey was born in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1928. Her parents were Mary Gray Staples and Ralph Harvey Sexton with her father being a successful wool manufacturer WWII which ensured a comfortable middle class lifestyle. The family however was far from ideal with Ralph being an alcoholic and her mother a frustrated writer that never felt fulfilled.

The Thursday Think Tank - #20 The Ugly That Is Beautiful

The ugly that is beautiful

It seems poetry is one of the best places to beautify the otherwise drab or disgusting. As poets we have the creative ability to turn the ugly into the beautiful and amazing.We romanticize death, give shape and allure to the simplest of things, we bring life and beauty to the cobwebs. 

Look who has joined us!

We have a great group of folks that have joined within the last month that we should say hello too.  We havn't done a welcome post in a while so please give these poets a warm hello and try visiting their sites sometime soon.  Our poetry community is always growing and we our glad to welcome these folks into the Poets United family.   Our members are what makes this place so wonderful.

Caribbean Fool @ Caribean Fool        

Saikat @ Songs

Reetam Majumder @ Thoughts of Rain

Juice Box @ It Was Late, and I Was Tired

chamiechamz @ The Journey called Life

R.S. Mallari @ Poems about Life and Love and Quotes

Amity @ World Beyond Logics 

  

Someone Is Special @ Few Miles

Ruth @ Turtle Memoirs

Abigail Pearl @ The Flying Dream Poet 

Herotomost @ Mexican Radio

Marit Rogne @ i never thought it would happen

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Poem of the Week (19 October 2010) Journey of Life

Selected by Eileen T O'Neill

This Poem can be found at:

Poems of Life and Love and Quotes

Journey of Life

Weights that I carry
Through a year of agony
About to end finally
A new window of hope
Bridges between the gaps
The unknown and the past
I will dare lose my doubts
And should I need to forget
To find the right rough path
A leaf of life has fallen
Comes a new, better one
Nourish it, for it to bloom
Avenues of the future
Promise of new adventures
With touch of sweet tortures
Float, the dawn has come
Pack your spirit with dreams
Sail away with optimism
A new journey has begun…

~ Ronald Mallari

(This poem was selected by Eileen T O'Neill.  She is currently one of our contributors and poets found here at Poets United.  If you would like to learn more about Eileen or read some of her own poetry you can  visit her blog "Words and Thoughts".  Eileen is a poet and writer who has been a wonderful supporter of Poets United since its start.  We would like to thank her for all of her hard work.)

Poetry Blog of the Week - (18 October 2010) Thats Only Fair

Written by Larry Patterson

“I drink glasses of cold water.” A line directly quoted from Oilunderneath, and sits comfortably in every post on the site.

That’s Only Fair is not just another wordpress website. It hosts a large collection of expressive and visual poetry! To quote directly from the site, Richí, creator of the site, has “been writing poetry since I [Richí] was seven years old” and has been blogging since May of 2010. With a lean design, and posts readily available for our viewing pleasure, we are allowed a vast look at the world through the poet’s eyes, from journalistic posts to personal encounters; it is all in the mix.

The Poetry Pantry Is Now Open - Week #13

The Poetry Pantry

2nd Chance Poems or 1st time shares

Anything goes!! All Poems, all Poets, All Week!!

Do you have a poem you would like to share? Something that you just felt inspired to write and want others to read. Perhaps it’s a poem that didn’t get as much exposure on your blog as you would have liked. Maybe it’s a poem that you wrote a long time ago that you would like people to revisit. That’s what this section of Poets United is for.

Classic Poetry (I Cannot Live With You ~ Emily Dickinson)

Suggested by Fireblossom (Shay)

I Cannot Live With You


I cannot live with you,
It would be life,
And life is over there
Behind the shelf

The sexton keeps the key to,
Putting up
Our life, his porcelain,
Like a cup

Poet History # 6 - Rumi and Hafiz

Written by Sherry Blue Sky

RUMI AND HAFIZ – beloved Persian poets

Separated by a hundred years, in the 13th and 14th centuries, Rumi and Hafiz were Persian ecstatic Sufi mystic poets, whose work celebrated and encouraged union with the Divine.

Rumi (1207 to 1273) was born in the eastern-most province of Persia, but his family fled west during the Mongol invasion, and he lived most of his life in the Sultanate of Rum, in present-day Turkey.

Rumi’s works are available in many translations, notably by Coleman Barks, the foremost translator of Rumi’s works for thirty years. Coleman Barks, in speaking about the mystical and synchronistic things that happen in life, said “We can’t explain them. If we try, it’s like a bunch of fish schooling together to discuss the possibility of the ocean. Rumi lives in that ocean.” Of Rumi’s poems, Barks says, “This is just sheet music for your wild true nature. You’ve got to sing the song.”

The Thursday Think Tank - #19 - Color

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.

~Rabindranath Tagore

This week we have a simple approach to The Thursday Think Tank. Lately we have been a bit complicated and could possibly be limiting some of our member’s creativity with our prompts. We have decided to bring it back to simple.

Our prompt is color.

Whatever that word inspires in you we want to read it. What’s your favorite color? What is the color that you last see when you go to sleep. Colors remind us of seasons, our lovers, the good times and bad times, so much of our lives are bathed in color.  Share some of those colorful moments with us here. We look forward to reading your poems.

Life of a Poet – Robert Lloyd

Written by Sherry Blue Sky

Well, kids, here’s a scoop! I had to twist his arm, a LOT, but today we’re sitting down with the creator and founder of Poets United! He demurred, but I pointed out that he is a poet in this community too, and we are as interested in him and his creative process as we are in every other writer. He agreed, under protest. So yes, today we’re sitting down with none other than the Big Guy himself, moderator par excellence, Robert Lloyd!

Poem of the Week (12 October 2010) Anxiety

This poem can be found at:

And Now Poems

Anxiety

anxiety rises
heart races
hands shake
no monster threatens
no deadline looms
no illness dooms
nothing external
justifies fear
anxiety rises
on her own terms
monster enough

~ Victoria Hendricks

Poetry Blog of the Week - (11 October 2010) Rinkly Rimes

By Mary Kling

Brenda Bryant is a poet whose poems have their own particular style, and her work cannot be mistaken by that of anyone else. If you visit her blog, Rinkly Rimes, you will see what I mean. She definitely has a gift with rhymes of all varieties. Many humorous, some children's poetry, and some serious as well. In my opinion, few people can write poetry that rhymes as well as Brenda can.

The Poetry Pantry Is Now Open - Week #12

The Poetry Pantry

2nd Chance Poems or 1st time shares

Anything goes!! All Poems, all Poets, All Week!!

Do you have a poem you would like to share? Something that you just felt inspired to write and want others to read. Perhaps it’s a poem that didn’t get as much exposure on your blog as you would have liked. Maybe it’s a poem that you wrote a long time ago that you would like people to revisit. That’s what this section of Poets United is for.

Classic Poetry (In Youth I Have Known One ~ Edgar Allen Poe)

In Youth I have Known One

How often we forget all time, when lone
Admiring Nature's universal throne;
Her woods - her winds - her mountains - the intense
Reply of Hers to Our intelligence!

Poet History #5 - Jack Kerouac

By Larry Patterson

Jack Kerouac

Jack Kerouac, born March 12, 1922, an American novelist and poet, he was a pioneer of the beat generation alongside other members such as Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs. Considered a literary iconoclast, Kerouac’s writings were most recognized for the spontaneous method covering a wide variety of topics such as his travels, Jazz, Drugs, and Buddhism only to name a few. His more notorious works include titles such as Visions of Cody, On the Road, Mexico City Blues, The Dharma Bums, a much more.

The Thursday Think Tank - #18 Complaining

Oh, wouldn't the world seem dull and flat with nothing whatever to grumble at?

~W.S. Gilbert

The dictionary defines the word complain as a way of expressing dissatisfaction or annoyance about a state of affairs or an event.  What makes you want to gripe?  What’s a gripe you hear too much of?  Why isn’t Poets United on time with their stuff lately?  I say that in jest because we know you all are understanding, but I thought it would be interesting to call for a poem or prose inspired by complaints.  The squeaky wheel gets the oil so make sure you squeak real loud.  We are interested to see what you want to gripe about in a creative way. 

Poem of the Week (5 October 2010) City a.m.

Selected by Mary Kling

This poem can be found at:

Indigenous Dialogues

City a.m.

Most mornings

I

stand on my terrace

leaning over

the rusted iron rail.

\I stare

with an expert eye

and a crazy relish

at the hectic throng

of passersby.

\I see

a dull monotony

of greys and blues-

such a drab palette

of dreary hues.

\Thus dressed,

in 'official'

garb

so pervasive,

spare and sharp

\looking,

they advance

slowly,

scaling the streets

they cross and recross everyday.

\Vacant eyes

gape

from faces harried

by ten thousand

crippling worries

\as they push

and toil

against the tide

sweeping the oil

glittering streets.

\And at times when,

by chance a face

-or two-

lifts up to the patch

of empty sky,

\I catch a fleeting

glimpse

of a yearning

for open pastures

and simpler times.

~ Zaina Anwar

(This poem was selected by Mary Kling.  She is currently one of our contributors and poets found here at Poets United.  If you would like to learn more about Mary or read some of her own poetry you can  visit her blog "In the Corner of My Eye" or keep an eye out for more of her posts.  We would like to thank her for all of her hard work.)

The Poetry Pantry Is Now Open - Week #11

The Poetry Pantry

2nd Chance Poems or 1st time shares

Anything goes!! All Poems, all Poets, All Week!!

Do you have a poem you would like to share? Something that you just felt inspired to write and want others to read. Perhaps it’s a poem that didn’t get as much exposure on your blog as you would have liked. Maybe it’s a poem that you wrote a long time ago that you would like people to revisit. That’s what this section of Poets United is for.

Poet History - #5 Sylvia Plath

Written by Jacob Knolwes-Smith

Dying Is an art, like everything else.

I do it exceptionally well.

    

       from ‘Lady Lazarus’

“Everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”

Sylvia Plath (October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963)

Tragedy. Tragedy is a word often associated with Sylvia Plath and, certainly, when she took her life in 1963 that was a tragedy but to call her life tragic is to ignore the almost palpably vibrant work that it produced. One reason for this association is the public obsession with literary biography (which we indulge here, of course) which means that people know more about the lives of Plath, and husband Ted Hughes, than they know, or would ever care to, about her poetry. Another reason for this is that, as the above quote indicates, Plath wrote about death and horror to a great extent and so her work, influenced by depression, comes full circle in the end.