Classic Poetry - "A Song for New Year's Eve" by William Cullen Bryant

Happy New Year, Poet-Friends!
Here's a post to inspire and delight... a traditional New Year's Eve piece.



A Song for New Year's Eve
 
by William Cullen Bryant

Stay yet, my friends, a moment stay—
     Stay till the good old year,
So long companion of our way,
     Shakes hands, and leaves us here.
          Oh stay, oh stay,
One little hour, and then away.

The year, whose hopes were high and strong,
     Has now no hopes to wake;
Yet one hour more of jest and song
     For his familiar sake.
          Oh stay, oh stay,
One mirthful hour, and then away.

The kindly year, his liberal hands
     Have lavished all his store.
And shall we turn from where he stands,
     Because he gives no more?
          Oh stay, oh stay,
One grateful hour, and then away.

Days brightly came and calmly went,
     While yet he was our guest;
How cheerfully the week was spent!
     How sweet the seventh day's rest!
          Oh stay, oh stay,
One golden hour, and then away.

Dear friends were with us, some who sleep
     Beneath the coffin-lid:
What pleasant memories we keep
     Of all they said and did!
          Oh stay, oh stay,
One tender hour, and then away.

Even while we sing, he smiles his last,
     And leaves our sphere behind.
The good old year is with the past;
     Oh be the new as kind!
          Oh stay, oh stay,
One parting strain, and then away.

Want to know more about William Cullen Bryant?
Click here for information provided by Northern California's College of The Siskiyous.

The Poetry Pantry Is Now Open! - # 81

The Poets United Community would like to wish you happy New Year.  Whatever and wherever you celebrate or even if you do not celebrate we hope the upcoming year is a great one for all our our poets, friends and their families.  Please keep safe and we look forward to the next year here with all of you at Poets United.

So that there are no deadlines or time crunches for our contributors Poets United will only be posting the Poetry Pantry on Sundays.  Everything else will be on hold.  Consider it a small break from 18 December through 3 January.  Please feel free to post as many poems as you would like under our tree since it will be up all week.

Happy New Year to you all!

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.

Each Sunday we start a new post with a New Mr. Linky for you. This is so that you can post a link to anything you want us to read, anything at all related to poetry or prose found on your own poetry blogs. It will remain open all week so that you can show us your writings and thoughts. You can post links weekly should you chose to do so. What poetry you put here is up to you so don't be afraid to share with us!!

There 3 simple rules:

1. Don’t link to more than 3 poems per week.
(This one is on hold due to the holidays so please post away)

2. Please visit some of the other poems linked here when you link to yours.

3. Leave a comment after you have posted
your link.

The Poetry Pantry Is Now Open! - # 80

The Poets United Community would like to wish you happy holidays.  Whatever and wherever you celebrate or even if you do not celebrate we hope the next few weeks are amazing ones for all our poets, friends and their families.  Please keep safe and we look forward to the next year here with all of you at Poets United.

So that there are no deadlines or time crunches for our contributors Poets United will only be posting the Poetry Pantry on Sundays.  Everything else will be on hold.  Consider it a small break from 18 December through 3 January.  Please feel free to post as many poems as you would like under our tree since it will be up all week.

Happy Holidays to you all!

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.

Each Sunday we start a new post with a New Mr. Linky for you. This is so that you can post a link to anything you want us to read, anything at all related to poetry or prose found on your own poetry blogs. It will remain open all week so that you can show us your writings and thoughts. You can post links weekly should you chose to do so. What poetry you put here is up to you so don't be afraid to share with us!!

There 3 simple rules:

1. Don’t link to more than 3 poems per week.
(This one is on hold due to the holidays so please post away)

2. Please visit some of the other poems linked here when you link to yours.

3. Leave a comment after you have posted
your link.

Classic Poetry - "In The Desert" by Stephen Crane

In the Desert

by Stephen Crane

In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said, “Is it good, friend?”
“It is bitter—bitter,” he answered;

“But I like it
“Because it is bitter,
“And because it is my heart.”

A contemporary and friend of Joseph Conrad, H. G. Wells, and Henry James, Stephen Crane is best known for his internationally acclaimed novel, The Red Badge of Courage. HIs poetry follows the same vein. Realistic, direct and unsentimental, it was quite different from the day's norm. A unique soul, Stephen Crane died when he was only 28.

I Wish I'd Written This

Three Poems for Carmen
by Lyndon Walker

1. APOLLO BAY – 5am 7th August
The ocean was with us all night
Thunderous and heavy
Rolling over in its sleep
And further out, deep
Full of whales and coldness.

Your tiny sounds as you slept
My creeping through the house so as not to wake you
To write this.
Outside
Barely breathing
The dark, unwoken, world.

2. HER SOCKS
I knew they were her socks when I picked them up
And put them with other things
Into my bag. Two small socks without dislike or suspicion.

She had thrown them off, quickly
To race out across the road
To tell the man
Whose hat had blown off
Where he could find it.
She’s like that.

And when she came back
Leaping at me
Like a silver fish from a stream of pure joy
I lifted the camera I had been playing with
And gave thanks.

3. BECAUSE YOU ARE MUSIC
Because you are music
I drive carefully
Up the mountain road through forest
And patches of light
Into your absence.

When I asked Lyndon’s permission to include him in this series, he kindly supplied a bio:

LYNDON WALKER was educated in Psychology at La Trobe University, the University of Melbourne and Deakin University. Lyndon practices as a Family and Individual Therapist. He undertook a world reading tour in 1994 and in 1996 was awarded the Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry. He lives in Carnegie in Melbourne.

(Expanding that a little, from his facebook profile:) He writes poetry, short stories, novels, screenplays and academic works on Psychology and Psychoanalysis. He is a father of one adult daughter.

I first got to know him in the early eighties, when we were both on the Committee of the Melbourne Branch of the Poets Union of Australia, and both had books published by Pariah Press. Pariah was a Cooperative venture requiring meetings and discussions, so in both capacities I learned to value his intellect, wit and generous spirit.

As a performance poet, he could be wonderfully over the top — good lungs for shouting, when required! We no longer live in the same city so I haven’t heard him in recent years, but I imagine it’s still the case. His poems on the page reveal a similar daring, in his willingness to experiment. A free versifier like most of us, he also handles form very well. And as you can see, he is capable of the most tender nuances. Because the above poem mentions music, I’ll round out this little sketch by telling you that he sings in a concert choir called Soulsong.

Details of Lyndon’s books and some individual poems can be found at his website.

Poems and photos used in ‘I Wish I’d Written This’ remain the property of the copyright holders (usually their authors).

The Thursday Think Tank # 78 - Off The Cuff

You have come here today possibly looking for inspiration and we are going to turn it around on you.  Today, right now, stop what you are doing and write.  If you have taken the time to visit and read this post then you can take another moment or two to write something, anything.  Throw caution to the wind and see what this very moment inspires in your pen.

Do not be lame and post something you wrote earlier this week. That’s what the poetry pantry is for.  We are calling out your current creativity not your past writings.  We will know if you wrote it before because it will be time stamped on your blog.  We may even post a Tsk Tsk if we see that is what you did.  Challenge yourself to write for the moment.  It doesn’t have to be perfect.  It doesn’t need to be revised a dozen times.  It just needs to be written now.

We look forward to reading your off the cuff poetic exploration.  It will be fun to see what inspires you instantaneously.

If you have a prompt idea (even a Music or Film inspired one) that you would like to suggest or share with us please send it to poetsunited@ymail.com . We keep a folder set aside with all your suggestions and just might use it one day.

There 3 simple rules:

1. Don’t link to more than 3 poems per week.

2. Please visit some of the other poems linked here when you link to yours.

3. Leave a comment after you have posted your link.

Life of a Poet ~ Abin Chakraborty

by Sherry Blue Sky

Kids, this week we are hopping on a magic carpet, which will whisk us away to the Land of Aladdin. We are flying to INDIA, to visit the very talented Abin Chakraborty, of Abin's Literary World, whose work you will often find posted at both Poets United and Imaginary Garden With Real Toads. We have just touched down,   have been ushered into a large stone building, and shown to a room full of books. The chai tea is coming to just under the boil, and the scent of cloves and cinnamon are in the air. Draw nearer to the fire with me, and let's meet the lovely poet, waiting for us in his book-lined den.

Poets United: Abin, thank you for allowing us to visit! I live vicariously, (if indeed I live at all), and India has long been one of the countries of my dreams. Tell us, what was your childhood like?  It must be wonderful to live in a part of the world  so brimming with a rich cultural heritage, landmark architecture and statues, the stuff of myth and history. A feast for the eyes, everywhere you look.

Abin and friend :)

The Poetry Pantry Is Now Open! - #79

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.

Each Sunday we start a new post with a New Mr. Linky for you. This is so that you can post a link to anything you want us to read, anything at all related to poetry or prose found on your own poetry blogs. It will remain open all week so that you can show us your writings and thoughts. You can post links weekly should you chose to do so. What poetry you put here is up to you so don't be afraid to share with us!!

There 3 simple rules:

1. Don’t link to more than 3 poems per week.

2. Please visit some of the other poems linked here when you link to yours.

3. Leave a comment after you have posted
your link.

I Wish I'd Written This

Do Not Grieve
by Wendy Poussard

Do not grieve
the Buddha said.
The love of living things
is like the clouds
that meet and drift apart.
Desire is sorrow.
Nothing to keep
nothing to own
dwells in the heart.

Do not mourn
the Buddha said.
The love of living things
is like the leaves
that fall in Autumn’s cold.
The wheel is turning.
Nothing we take
nothing we give
is ours to hold.

Yet when he heard death come,
they say he turned
and took the road
that led towards his home.

From Ground Truth (Melb., Pariah Press, 1987)

Wendy Poussard was one of the founders of the International Women’s Development Agency. Much of her poetry reflects her commitment to human rights and environmental issues — and very fine poetry it is. Her work is deliberately spare, almost minimalist, which leads some people to assume that it’s simple, uncrafted stuff. The apparent simplicity has been worked hard for, and contains subtleties and profundities.

‘Do Not Grieve’ is one of my favourite poems of all time. I never tire of it! I think it is perfectly judged. It needs every word, and not one word more. It is very quiet, yet its message resonates … I want say, forever. I can’t think of a poem I would more wish to have written than this (though Dylan Thomas’s ‘In My Craft or Sullen Art’ would push it close) which perhaps says as much about me as about the poem. Still, I can’t fault it.

Wendy has published two collections of poetry: Ground Truth and Outbreak of Peace. Her ‘A Song for “Water Buffalo”‘, written to accompany a musical performance of a piece by Yuji Takahshi, shows something of how versatile she is.

Poems and photos used in ‘I Wish I’d Written This’ remain the property of the copyright holders (usually their authors).

The Thursday Think Tank # 77 - The City

A lot of poetry comes from the environment around poets.  One such environment is the great and grey cities.  Many people write of the country with lush green fields and open air but today we want you to write about the city.  A city with sky scrapers standing majestic or ominous, the lights and shadows it casts at night, the lonely walk amongst the throngs of people, the love you experienced and link memories to.  The city tells a great many stories and through your poetry we hope to read and experience some of those stories no matter true or imagined.

We look forward to be a t9ourist and visiting your city today.  

If you have a prompt idea (even a Music or Film inspired one) that you would like to suggest or share with us please send it to poetsunited@ymail.com . We keep a folder set aside with all your suggestions and just might use it one day.

There 3 simple rules:

1. Don’t link to more than 3 poems per week.

2. Please visit some of the other poems linked here when you link to yours.

3. Leave a comment after you have posted your link.

Life of a Poet ~ Viv Blake

by Sherry Blue Sky

Kids, today we're traveling to France, to stop by  Bistrot Viviennne, meet the famous Viv, enjoy some of her cappucino and chocolat, and ask her what life is like for a poet in France. (Can you think of a more romantic place to be a poet?) You will find Viv, on any given day, at Vivinfrance's Blog, whipping up a new batch of poems.

Poets United: Viv, it is so romantic that you live in France!!! Can you tell us a little bit about  your life and family?

The Poetry Pantry Is Now Open! - #78

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.

Each Sunday we start a new post with a New Mr. Linky for you. This is so that you can post a link to anything you want us to read, anything at all related to poetry or prose found on your own poetry blogs. It will remain open all week so that you can show us your writings and thoughts. You can post links weekly should you chose to do so. What poetry you put here is up to you so don't be afraid to share with us!!

There 3 simple rules:

1. Don’t link to more than 3 poems per week.

2. Please visit some of the other poems linked here when you link to yours.

3. Leave a comment after you have posted
your link.

Classic Poetry - "She Walks in Beauty" by Lord Byron (George Gordon)

She Walks in Beauty

by Lord Byron

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.

One shade the more, one ray the less,

Had half impaired the nameless grace

Which waves in every raven tress,

Or softly lightens o’er her face;

Where thoughts serenely sweet express,

How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,

So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

The smiles that win, the tints that glow,

But tell of days in goodness spent,

A mind at peace with all below,

A heart whose love is innocent!

Lord Byron left a legacy of brilliant writing as well as a trail of debts, myriad affairs, an incestuous relationship with his half-sister, and a reputation as a war hero. Described by Lady Caroline Lamb as "mad, bad and dangerous to know", he packed all that living into only 36 years, when he died from a fever contracted while in Missolonghi in Greece.

Wild man he was, George Gordon!

I Wish I'd Written This

War Dance

by Ken Smeaton

1

In our love    a slow dance

round the kitchen

blood plums bubbling   the

smell of gas and bread

surround our waltz

slow turning on the lino

your hand glides down

my back

time hangs washing

on an airless day

2
In our love    every day

could be the last

life on the endangered list

each kiss the first kiss

each touch the first caress

we have grown an arsenal of love

we have studied each other

become privately fluid

armed with steps and ritual

we battle thru.

3.

Our secret weapon

the slow waltz.

From Real Face, Melbourne, AbalonePress, 1987.

I first encountered Melbourne poet Ken Smeaton when he was with the Street Poets, who gave it away for free — handing out sheets of poetry on city streets — and I was with the Poets Union, whose members demanded payment — insisting on, and getting a fee for publication and performance. Nevertheless our aims overlapped. Both groups were keen to take poetry ‘off the page’ and present it orally, to show the public its relevance in the here and now. So we were always bumping into each other at festivals, concerts and performance venues, where we appreciated each other’s work. Ken and I ended up working together in the theatre poetry group Word of Mouth, collaborating with two other poets, Anita Sinclair, who was also our director, and Malcolm Brodie (who is immortalised here by another poet).

When I approached Ken about his inclusion in this series, he said, ‘Just take any poem out of Real Face.’ That was a treat! A long time since I’d read it, and I fell in love with his writing all over again. It’s so earthy, honest, original, and indeed real. But it was almost impossible to find a poem suitable for this purpose. He is the most Australian of poets in his idiom and allusions; for most of his pieces I would need to provide explanatory notes for international readers! For instance, his poem, ‘Rain. No Work’, which you can read at his blog, can be understood at face value by any reader, but I think you have to be an Aussie for the place names to conjure up pictures in your head, and for the gold nuggets and the flood to have deep historical associations. It’s my very favourite piece in the whole book; I’m mad about it — but if I’d chosen it for this post, it might have fallen a bit flat for most of you.

Luckily, I could wish to have written pretty much everything in the book, including this sweet reflection on love in domesticity, which does translate into the universal.


Ken behind the mic, then and now. (Photo with daughter Bella by Pamela Sidney, unofficial chronicler of the Melbourne poetry scene in the 80s - 90s, from her Melbourne Poetry Gig Guide blog.) :

Poems and photos used in ‘I Wish I’d Written This’ remain the property of the copyright holders (usually their authors).

The Thursday Think Tank # 76 - Soul's Whisper

Does turning the calendar to December fill you will mixed emotions?  For some of us, winter will make her debut. This means our moods will be up n' down like the barometer.  Many of us will celebrate holidays, near the month's end. I find this time of year comes with mixed feelings. I see people struggling, people with excess, and people who still see the magic in the ordinary, and believe in miracles. I am going to try to be more generous, pay it forward, and smile more.  I think a generous spirit can live in our hearts, year round.  My photo is called Soul's Whisper. I would love you to pen a poem, that represents a whisper from your soul.

Our Monthly "Reflection" photo prompt is provided to us by Ella Wilson . We would like to thank Ella for her inspiring photos and for helping us out here at Poets United. If you would like to know more about Ella, see her other photos or read her poetry please visit the blog below:

Ella's Edge

If you have a prompt idea (even a Music or Film inspired one) that you would like to suggest or share with us please send it to poetsunited@ymail.com . We keep a folder set aside with all your suggestions and just might use it one day.

There 3 simple rules:

1. Don’t link to more than 3 poems per week.

2. Please visit some of the other poems linked here when you link to yours.

3. Leave a comment after you have posted your link.